Baker with Donegal roots sifts through recipes to raise funds for Ukraine

A UK-based baker has brought a global community of chefs together for a charity cookbook for Ukraine.

Andrew Green and his sister Sarah (pictured above), whose father Eugene hails from Ray in Donegal, have launched ‘Knead Peace’ – a collection of recipes from some of the world’s best-known bakers who were inspired to help victims of the war.

Among the biggest fans of the book so far is Andrew and Sarah’s grandmother, Annie Green, who turned 97 this week. Annie lives outside Rathmullan and loves nothing more than cakes and bakes, especially the tea cake from McGettigan’s Bakery.

Andrew, now living in Devon, was so moved by the story of a Kyiv baker that he wanted to use his connections to help.

Since the invasion began, Anna Makievska and her team at the Bakehouse Ukraine have given away 100,000 loaves to anyone in need, such as soldiers and the elderly. They have battled a warehouse fire, supply shortages and the death of colleagues but still they continue providing for the community. Andrew heard Anna speaking on the radio at the beginning of spring and reached out to her. Soon had conjured a recipe to help, by calling out to chefs to contribute recipes to a book.

Knead Peace, out now, contains 65 recipes of sweet and savoury bakes from esteemed bakeries, with contributions from Anna at the Bakehouse, Max Blachman-Gentile Of Tartine Bakery, Richard Bertinet and Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich Of Honey & Co.

Andrew has kept in contact with Anna throughout the war. She is currently managing the Bakehouse from Portugal, having fled to safety following the birth of a new baby in spring.

Sarah said the support for the project has been overwhelming.

“We were floored by how generous people are. The artists, the chefs, and the people offering to do design and film work. We didn’t know where to start with book publishing, but people have been really supportive,” she said.

Bread is a universal symbol of peace, and the family project was born from the idea that baking is a community that has the power to make a difference.

£2.50 from the sale of each copy of Knead Peace will be donated to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

It is available to order online at all main retailers and independent bookshops are able to order copies in if they choose, Sarah said.

Sarah, who works as a stage manager and theatre director, said the generosity extends beyond the UK and the ‘Irish heart’ is also showing support for Ukraine. The family have their eyes on moving back to Donegal sometime, she said.

“Ireland has been phenomenal in taking care of people. When you know what it is like to be displaced, even back in the past. Our dad moved back and forth from Donegal to Devon as a child and eventually settled here,” Sarah said.

“A big part of what prompted us is we saw how hard it was for our grandparents and our dad to not be where they wanted to be.”

A list of Knead Peace stockists is available at : https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/andrew-green-2/knead-peace/9781804190753/