Rabbi Marc Levene of Belmont United Synagogue in London was crowned the winner of the third instalment of Rabbi Steady Cook on 2 December, securing 662 votes for his salt beef-stuffed latkes and jam-filled doughnuts.

The rabbinical cooking series is being broadcast by the United Synagogue on its own streaming service, theUS.TV, which was being planned at the beginning of this year but was launched in earnest when the pandemic first hit.

Although this was the first time the online competition had included regional ministers, Rabbi Aaron Lipsey of Newcastle Hebrew Congregation, who took just under 30 per cent of the vote, was pipped to the post by the London rabbi.

Rabbi Daniel Walker of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester and Chazan Alby Chait of the United Hebrew Congregation in Leeds also took part. 

Rabbi Levene, who also won the pizza competition, paid tribute to his daughters for their “encouragement [and] food-tasting skills”, as well as his congregation who were “the real winners.” 

Host and comedian Ashley Blaker remarked that Rabbi Levene’s latkes were “going to take some beating.” 

Director of communications for the United Synagogue Richard Verber congratulated Rabbi Levene on “becoming the champion of the deep fat fryer”, and the other participants for “helping us spread a little Chanukah cheer across the country during these cold winter nights.”