More than 30 Jewish food writers and chefs were on hand at a food festival to cook up some £3,000 for Leket, the Israeli charity that distributes surplus food to the needy, and for myisrael's Bet Shean Food Bank. Two barrels of food were also collected for the UK charity Gift.

Gefiltefest, a Jewish food festival, organised by Michael Leventhal, featured cookery demonstrations by Denise Phillips, Silvia Nacamulli, Dina Brawer and Lisa Roukin, as well as a talk by Judy Jackson on "Why children should play with their food".

Other activities included a panel debate on the ethics of shechita with Dr Oliver Samuel, president of the London Board of Shechita, Rabbi Jeremy Gordon and Rabbi Jeremy Levy. Other talks delved into the literature, history and traditions of Jewish food.

The Board of Deputies' Philip Rosenberg said: "Through tasty, hands-on workshops, Gefiltefest challenged us to think about what we eat, and have a great time doing so. Whether it's celebrating our heritage through our cooking, discussing organic kosher chickens, or learning how to brew your own beer, Gefiltefest taught us to judge the impact of our eating habits on our bodies and on our world."

The sell-out event attracted a 200-strong audience to Moishe House in Willesden Green.