JW3's largest single event since its opening 21 months ago had, of course, to be about food. The 1,100 who came to listen, talk and taste at Sunday's Gefiltefest, which was staged at the London community centre for the first time, also represented a record attendance for the festival.
The setting certainly impressed Chaim Grinfeld, who came with Moshe Beshkin all the way from Tallinn, Estonia, to exhibit the latter's Is It Kosher? app. "I am surprised to see such a huge space," he said. "It's like another galaxy."
New Gefiltefest director Nicki Tiefenbrun said the venue had "worked for us. The rooms are well equipped. The piazza gives you a concentrated space and it looks and feels like a real food market.
"I think we are now on the calendar of London's ethnic food markets. There's been a lot of interest."
A team of 30 volunteers had laboured through Thursday and Friday to prepare samples for the day, covering the culinary gamut, from lentil soup to baklava.
While there was no specific theme, a strong emphasis on healthy eating was evident. In the piazza, Soyo Market displayed some of the colourful dishes that will feature in its shortly to open West Hampstead branch - from beetroot and sweet potato fritters to Jerusalem artichoke and broad bean salad.
Kedassia-labelled Weigh2Go offered lunch snacks like quinoa salad. The Jewish Vegetarian Society demonstrated the use of the fashionable spiraliser, producing thin ribbons of courgette served with pesto dip.
JVS director Lara Smallman, who has helped to revive the society, said its expansion plans included "an edible classroom in the garden for schools to learn" and pop-ups with guest chefs.
Apart from packets of biltong, South African dried beef, on sale, carnivores had to abstain from the pleasures of flesh. The schmaltz-saturated staples of old Eastern Europe seemed a distant memory, although there were muffins, fairy cakes and parev ice cream to satisfy the sweet-toothed.
Former Ottolenghi chef Or Golan, who has teamed up with Soyo, demonstrated some expert salad preparation. "He's like Ottolenghi on speed, he is so energetic and enthusiastic," said vegetarian Tammy Goldstein after watching his session.
"The only problem was stopping the audience interfering and thinking they knew best."
Fourth generation salmon smoker Ole Hansen-Lydersen explained that producing the delicacy was "about using the best salmon you can find" - he sources his from the Faroe Islands.
It is smoked over beechwood and juniper rather than oak. Instead of the horizontal cut slices you normally put between your bagel, he cuts his vertically "so that every single layer is a journey of taste".
Brandishing bunches of dill, Shana Boltin laid them alongside a plate of peeled garlic and little plastic beakers of spices as she led one of the children's sessions.
"Are we going to turn the cucumbers into pickles?" asked an excited four-year-old, Shachar. "I love cucumbers."
In the foyer, artist-in-residence Sophie Herxheimer produced illustrations to order based on visitors' favourite food memories.
"Sometimes I go foraging at my granny's in Suffolk for interesting stuff - elderflower, rosehip and lavender," said Rosie Jakeways, 13, from Notting Hill, as she waited for her drawing. She had come with her friend, Ayela Marcuson, 13, from West Hampstead, who was looking forward to challah-making.
Earlier, Rabbi Natan Levy had led
a foraging party, with goose grass
and rosemary among the pickings.
In an upstairs room, home brewer Josh Charig, 26, was sparging - rinsing a vat of malts. "I've been brewing since February 2014," he explained. "I like craft beers and real ale, so some friends said why don't we try making it.
"I got married in December and I wanted to brew the beer for our wedding. Because there were some doubts over whether my beer could be served, a rabbi came to my garage and watched me brew for a day."
His wife, Talia Chain, has ambitions to "start a Jewish farm".
Established food writers such as Elizabeth Luard, Anne Shooter and Claudia Roden featured on the programme, along with restaurateurs including Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer of the popular Honey & Co, and Jewish educators such as Maureen Kendler.
MasterChef finalist Emma Spitzer, who presented a novel take on Israeli street food - fish falafel - said after her first Gefiltefest: "It was a good turnout and they had some really credible people, which helped to draw in the crowds. I can only see it getting bigger and better."
North Londoner Greg Bromley was the winner of the JC competition, in partnership with Gefiltefest, for a meal for six cooked at his home by Eran Tibi, head chef of Zest at JW3.
