Olia Hercules is a Ukrainian chef, food writer and activist who co-founded the #CookforUkraine campaign in 2022 to raise awareness of humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.
Using the power of food, #CookforUkraine has been supported by top chefs, food writers and restaurant owners; and has raised around £2 million to help children and families in Ukraine who have been displaced by the war.
Funds raised through supper clubs, restaurants, bake sales and other ways are donated to UNICEF to support women and children affected by the conflict, The Legacy of War Foundation and for defensive clothing for those flighting on the ground in Ukraine.
By raising awareness of the campaign via social media, Olia has become known as the face of #CookforUkraine and she is also frequently written about in the national press.
Olia moved to UK in 1999 to study and is now based in London but has also lived in Italy and Cyprus for short spells. Her parents, both enthusiastic cooks, are displaced in Ukraine along with other family members.
During the pandemic she wrote a book called Home Food, a collection of 100 simple recipes with evocative stories and memories from friends and fellow food writers.