How Klopotenko and Zelenska developed a school menu: four security services, two sanitary doctors, dozens of swabs

Ukrainian chef and MasterChef season 5 winner Yevhen Klopotenko worked with First Lady Olena Zelenska to develop a new school menu. Each dish was carefully tested because the wife of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was to taste them.

Klopotenko spoke on the TSN's YouTube project Naodyntsi (Alone) about the not-so-pleasant processes he had to go through while developing the dishes. The food was examined by two sanitary and epidemiologists. In addition, four security officers were also present. The chef also spoke about his relationship with the First Lady.

"I cooked for Olena [Zelenska - ed.] only when we were tasting the school menu. Because even when you prepare a school menu, four security services, two sanitary and epidemiologists from the State Consumer Service come and take swabs... You can't just feed people," the chef said.

He also noted that during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this process became even more complicated. Previously, food was carefully checked, but now it is not accepted at all.

"Now, during the full-scale invasion, I couldn't even give a gift. They don't accept it. I gave her a jar of jam that I've had for eight years because it was the last jar of jam from my batch, the last one I made. They said they wouldn't give it to me because it's not allowed. In case there was some poison or something else. These are the rules," Klopotenko said.

Even though Yevhen doesn't communicate with Olena Zelenska often, he considers her a wonderful person. Sometimes they meet at forums and talk. In particular, Klopotenko boasted that he constantly hugs the First Lady.

"I know her personally. She is a wonderful, bright person. We do not sit with her, we are not friends, we do not go to clubs, we do not violate the curfew, we do not correspond [on a regular basis]. There is no such thing. We just see each other on forums all the time. We have a small talk [short conversation - ed.] She supports me perfectly in everything, I hug her all the time. And it's such a strange thing when you approach the First Lady and hug her," Yevhen summarized.

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