JLGB Kosher Food Guide for DofE Expeditions 

Overview 

Food is an crucial part of a DofE Expedition. Ensuring you have enough fuel whilst out hiking is important – and cooking is a key part of all expeditions. We recommend meals and snacks focus on carbohydrate and protein foods.  

We work with all Jewish schools and have participants from across the religious spectrum. To maintain a standard of Kosher that is acceptable to all we request that all participants adhere to this Kosher guide. 

Key points: 

• All items on any JLGB DofE Expeditions must be Kosher 

• Only dairy or Pareve food items may come on expedition – no chicken or meat. Fish is allowed. 

• All items must be certified Kosher by either the London Beth Din, the Really Jewish Food Guide, isitKosher.uk or bear a hechsher/Kosher symbol from an alternative recognized authority.  

• Vegetarian/Vegan is not the same as Kosher and is not an acceptable standard on any JLGB expeditions. 

 

• JLGB aims to be a nut free organisation. 

Common Foods and their rules (Title to change) 

Pasta 

• Allowed: Plain dried pasta and noodles (including those containing egg). Pasta coloured/flavoured with vegetable extracts (e.g., spinach, tomato). 

• Not Allowed: Fresh pasta or canned pasta products unless specifically marked as Kosher. 

Rice 

• Allowed: Plain uncooked and parboiled rice. Example: Ben’s Original Boil in the Bag (Kosher, Parev). 

• Not Allowed: Fully cooked or flavoured rice (e.g., Ben’s Original Express, Wok rice) 

Pasta Sauces 

• Only Kosher-certified brands such as Osem, Rosie’s Italian Products, or Gefen are permitted. Some plain tomato sauces such as Passata are Kosher – please double check isitkosher.uk for guidelines 

• Non-Kosher brands or unverified sauces are not allowed. (i.e. Dolmio) 

• Pesto – Most pesto contains nuts and/or cheese – they need to be Kosher-certified and nut free.  

Baked Beans 

• Only Kosher-certified baked beans are allowed. Example: Rakusen’s or Tesco Kosher Baked Beans (available at Tesco stores with a Kosher section). 

Cheese 

• Only Kosher-certified cheeses (both hard and soft) are permitted. Look for a recognized rabbinical sanction on each packet. Chevvington cheese is the most widely available option and can be purchased in many mainstream supermarkets that have a Refridgerated Kosher section.  

• Dairy free/Vegan cheese needs to be Kosher approved – many are available from mainstream supermarkets – including own brand. For a list of approved Dairy Free cheese see: https://isitkosher.uk/#Dairy%20Free%20Cheese  

Soups 

• Only Kosher canned and packet soups with Kosher certification, as some are processed on equipment with non-Kosher meaty soups. Please double check that stock powders and canned soups are marked as Pareve as some contain meat. Heinz soup is not Kosher. 

Veggie Sausages 

• Only Kosher-certified vegetarian sausages are permitted. Tival are the most common Kosher veggie sausages. Some Beyond products are approved too. 

Instant Mashed Potatoes 

• Only Kosher-certified products are allowed. Osem  

Cereals & Porridge 

• Avoid cereals containing dates unless they are Kosher-certified, as dates can be infested and hard to inspect. 

• Most commonplace cereals (such as Frosties, Rice Crispies, Shreddies etc) are Kosher. Please check isitkosher.uk/#cereal  

• Please check that cereals are nut-free before bringing them on expedition 

Pancakes 

• Only products with a hechsher/Kosher symbol are allowed.  Barkat, Orgran Pancake & Batter Mix, Kingsmill ready-made pancakes are all approved. Please check for a Hechsher or isitkosher.uk  

Bread & Baked Goods 

• Most Hovis and Kingsmill breads are approved Kosher. Please check the package for a Hechser/Kosher symbol marker. Be wary that many brioche buns are not Kosher 

• Baked goods such as croissants and pain aux chocolat need to be Kosher or come from a Kosher bakery 

 

Jams, Honey & Spreads 

• Pure jam and honey are approved as long as they don’t contain problematic E-numbers.  

• Spreads such as chocolate spread need a hechsher/Kosher symbol or Kosher approved. 

• Marmite is only Kosher when purchased from Kosher shops or specific other locations. See https://isitkosher.uk/#Marmite for more information. 

 

Hot Drinks 

• We generally don’t encourage participants to have caffeinated drinks like tea or coffee on expeditions. However if you choose to bring tea of coffee with please note that: 

• Plain and decaffeinated coffee is permitted. This includes coffee bags and pure, instant coffee with no added ingredients. Instant cappuccino mixes and the like do need to be Kosher approved. 

• Plain and decaffeinated tea is permitted. This includes tea bags and pure, instant tea with no added ingredients. 

 

• Squash – guidelines – mention robinsons double strenght blackcurrant not ok 

• Hot chocolate needs to be Kosher or have a hechsher/Kosher symbol as they can contain ingredients that are problematic.  

 

 

Items to Avoid 

• Instant Noodles & Fast Food (e.g., Pot Noodles): These are of little nutritional value and don’t contain a lot of energy. They due to high salt and fat content and are discouraged on expeditions. 

• Non-Kosher Baked Goods: Only baked goods marked with a Kosher hechsher/Kosher symbol are permitted. 

• Fresh milk – it is likely to go off. Alternatives are ultra heat treated (UHT) milk or milk powder (milk powder s 

• Raw Eggs – these are delicate and likely to break.  

• Fresh fish – including smoked salmon – it is likely to go off.  

• Energy & fizzy drinks – these are not permitted on our expeditions. 

• Nuts 

 

Important Reminders 

• All Food Must Be Kosher: Check the London Beth Din, Really Jewish Food Guide, isitKosher.uk, or for a recognized hechsher/Kosher symbol. 

• No Meat on Expeditions: All foods must be dairy or Pareve. Pareve food does not contain meat or milk.  

• Vegetarian/Vegan is NOT the same Kosher: Simply being labelled vegetarian or vegan does not meet Kosher standards and therefore not allowed on our expeditions. 

 

For More Information 

For a full list of Kosher foods, please visit; 

London Beth Din Really Jewish Food Guide, 

https://isitkosher.uk  

or visit a specialist Kosher store. 

Where to buy kosher food 

Many items available in supermarkets is Kosher. If it doesn’t have an obvious hechsher/Kosher symbol it may be listed on https://isitkosher.uk. Most supermarkets in and around the Jewish community have a Kosher section for dry goods – and many also have refrigerated sections too 

Kosher Stores in Different Areas: (PLEASE ADD MORE / MAKE SECTION BETTER) 

Essex: La Boucherie (not the meat), Tesco and Sainsburys have kosher sections 

Borehamwood: B Kosher, Just Kosher, Tesco 

Golders Green/Hendon: Kosher Kingdom, Tapuach, Bakeries 

Manchester: Kosher Saver, Haber's, Brackman's and Prestwich Tesco’s and many more.