How to cater for kosher guests and hosts

You will find Jewish and kosher places in America, the UK, Australia, Singapore. After I spoke about Jewish weddings on a radio station in London, I said that I was a travel writer and was asked to go back and talk about sites connected with Anne Frank. First Holland, then Germany, Poland, the USA. 

The USA has Jewish connections in history and modern times.

Then Jewish Prague. I discovered there were Jewish trails all over the world, with shops, and restaurants. 

I went to visit a family who were housewarming in Hendon, London, not London, Canada, but London, UK, who had guests who were kosher. I did not know what to take for tea but decided it was safer to take flowers rather than food or drink. I was right.

Guests and Kosher Food
The guests brought home made cakes and fruit as a gift. They also had a challah cover (bread cover for the Sabbath meal) embroidered with the names of the engaged couple. They must have ordered that earlier.

Guests and Kosher Drink
The hostess out of consideration for guestss had a bottle of kosher Prosecco.

I asked the hostess, "Where did you get that?"

She replied, "I don't know where it's from. But lots of shops around here sell kosher food and drinks. All over Hendon and Golders Green and Temple Fortune."

Even shops with non-Jewish owners and staff stock a large amount of kosher and Halal produce. In London, Tesco does.  You can also buy on line.

Another solution is to use paper plates and new or disposable cutlery for guest who are kosher or halal or vegetarian.

If you are looking for a gift, you can buy online or from shops in London, England (which may have restricted opening hours), and Israel.

Landlords And Tenants
As a landlady I was asked by Hindu residents to supply only new or unused plates. I just rushed along to the supermarket and bought a set of four of everything, brand new, cheaply, on offer.

In-Laws
You might have to visit in-laws with dietary restrictions, or cater to visitors from overseas. A friend of mine who was Christian (Catholic) married to a Hindu,

In Singapore I went to a Toastmasters International meeting at the annexe of a Hindu temple. Hindu temples are in many areas of Singapore.

Singapore flag. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

We had a discussion about what ingredients we could use for a cake. Not just vegetarian, banning meat, but the stricter vegan rules banning milk products such as milk and butter, as well as eggs.

Anything connected with lard from pork or beef fat, or meat products, was banned. But since the temple used milk in offerings, it was decided that milk would be permitted.

For many years I had been in a puzzle over this. Really, the simplest solution is to just ask. People are usually delighted to tell you whether they need something special, or if they are more liberal, that you need not bother.

Kosher Gifts
You can buy a tee-shirt with the slogan 100% kosher from Amazon.
I fell about laughing when I saw a shabbos toothbrush.

https://www.amazon.co.uk (slogan 100% kosher teeshirt)
https://www.lehmanns.co.uk/shabbos-toothbrush
http://www.contemporaryjudaica.co.uk


www.lonelyplanet.com/Australia
https://new.goisrael.com/
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com
visittheusa.co.uk
visitsingapore.com
visitlondon.com

Author
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer. Please share links to your favourite posts.