Our first Friday Night Dinner of 2026 was a lovely, relaxed evening with guest chef Richard Havardi, who cooked a generous plant-based feast for us. The menu didn’t disappoint. We started with pumpkin soup topped with za’atar croutons and coconut yoghurt. The main was mushroom and walnut ‘meatballs’ in a rich tomato ragù, served with citrusy herbed quinoa and a fresh cucumber, pomegranate and sumac salad. Dessert was apple strudel rolls with whipped coconut cream, which disappeared very quickly.
Guest chef Richard Havardi has over 15 years’ experience in raw and plant-based cuisine. He founded NAMA Foods, the much-loved raw vegan restaurant that was formerly based in Notting Hill, and many of you will remember him from last year’s sold-out “Fundamentals of Raw Vegan Cuisine” workshop. Read about the event here.
It was great to see so much of our JVS community attend together. We began with Kiddush and Hamotzi, then sat down to eat, chat and enjoy Shabbat dinner together. There was a real sense of warmth in the room with people catching up, meeting new faces, and pitching in to help where needed. Thank you to everyone who came and helped make it such a welcoming and enjoyable evening.