2017 - Foundation
CultFood founded by Yevhen Klopotenko to improve the culture of healthy eating in schools.
Food changes the world.We change food culture.
Our Team
We are a team of changemakers who believe that a healthy generation starts with what we eat every day. For us, proper nutrition isn’t just about food — it’s about opportunities for growth, development, success, and transformation.
We bring together experts from different fields to act efficiently and holistically, creating practical solutions that truly work. From educational programs to improving culinary education, we make healthy choices simple and accessible.
Our goal isn’t just to solve isolated problems — we strive to build lasting change. By collaborating with partners, uniting diverse people and organizations, and scaling promising initiatives, we work together to shape a healthier future.
Yevhen Klopotenko
Founder & Head of Cult Food Initiative
Ukrainian chef, creative entrepreneur, and public figure who has turned food into a tool for change. He doesn’t just cook - he reimagines Ukraine’s flavors, introduces them to the world, and shapes a new food culture for future generations.
Together we hit obstacles
Yevhen Klopotenko
Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission
To nurture a healthier generation in Ukraine by transforming food culture and developing skilled culinary professionals.
Vision
We envision a Ukraine where healthy eating is accessible to everyone, where people understand its importance and make conscious food choices, and where nutrition is recognized as the foundation of both psychosocial and mental well-being.
We also dream of a future where culinary vocational education is prestigious, where institutions train top-tier specialists, and where chefs are motivated and empowered to build successful careers in this field.Values
- Social responsibility
We feel a deep responsibility not only to today’s society but also to future generations. That’s why our goal is not change for the sake of change—we aim to solve socially significant issues and support vulnerable communities. Our actions lead to measurable results with a lasting, positive impact. - Structure, integration & innovation
We take a strategic approach to change, covering multiple areas of activity. This allows us to implement truly sustainable solutions—ones that have strong foundations and evolve into long-lasting systems. At the same time, we stay open to new ideas and continuously introduce innovative approaches that drive progress and engage different generations. - Professionalism & Growth
We operate ethically and efficiently, maintaining high standards in everything we do. We constantly ask ourselves: Can we set an example? Learning and self-improvement are part of our daily mindset. - Transparency & Partnership
We work openly and independently, bringing together as many stakeholders as possible. After all, real impact isn’t made alone—it’s achieved through collaboration and teamwork. By fostering partnerships and engaging in dialogue, we can create large-scale, meaningful change faster and more effectively. We are always accessible and open to the public.
Our Story
CultFood is a social initiative founded in 2017 by chef and culinary expert Yevhen Klopotenko to revolutionize Ukraine’s food culture.
Initially launched as a small activist group, the project evolved into a fully-fledged public organization by 2021.
In 2023, it adopted the name CultFood.
It all started with school meals. Officially, the menus failed to meet children’s modern nutritional needs. In reality, the food was outdated, tasteless, and often met with frustration, leading students to avoid the cafeteria altogether. With grant support, we developed a recipe book of 110 well-balanced and truly delicious meals for school canteens.
By 2020, thanks to an initiative led by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, school nutrition reform became a national priority. CultFood was invited to join the working group, expanding its efforts beyond the recipe book to comprehensive, nationwide changes, including:
- Training school chefs
- Developing educational materials
- Launching public awareness campaigns on healthy eating
Since then, our impact has grown far beyond school meal reform. We now work on:
- Promoting healthy eating habits among children and youth
- Psychosocial support through culinary master classes accompanied by a psychologist to help children heal
- Reforming vocational education in the culinary field and making it a more attractive career choice for young people
In 2024, we significantly expanded our work in vocational training and professional development, an area we continue to actively develop.
2018 - Recipe Collection
Official approval of a recipe book with 110 new school meals. The updated menu was voluntarily adopted by 5,000 schools nationwide.
2019 - Teaching Experience
Yevhen Klopotenko is actively involved in the educational process at one of Kyiv’s specialized colleges, where, as a teacher and practitioner, he teaches students the intricacies of working in the kitchen. Later, some of Yevhen’s students go on to work at his restaurant, “100 Years Back to the Future.” His successful teaching experience forms the foundation for a broader vision of food reform in Ukraine.
2020 - Reforming
School nutrition reform becomes a national priority. CultFood, led by Yevhen Klopotenko, plays a key role, with Yevhen serving as the reform’s ambassador.
2021 - Formalization of the Initiative
The CultFood initiative officially registers as a public organization under the initial name “Gastroprykhozhanie”.
2022 - Psychosocial support through culinary master classes accompanied by a psychologist
Launch of a psychosocial support through culinary master classes accompanied by a psychologist program to provide psychosocial support for children, teenagers, and families affected by war. This innovative approach proved to be highly effective.
2023 - NGO “CultFood”
The organization renames itself CultFood, marking a year of major expansion and achievements:
- Launch of the “Hraimo” project – an interactive educational program where children learn about healthy eating through games.
- Establishment of culinary hubs in Ternopil, Odesa, and Poltava regions to retrain school chefs.
- Development and publication of a new recipe book featuring 600+ healthy school meal recipes.
2024 - Continued Expansion
Further expansion of CultFood’s initiatives:
- Retraining over 300 vocational instructors using a cascading training method.
- Hosting a career orientation competition to attract 8th-9th graders to vocational education.
- Initiating the development of an innovative vocational education institution through a public-private partnership model.
2025 - Exemplary Vocational Education Institution
NGO “CULT FOOD” is moving from separate educational initiatives toward creating a systemic model for the modernization of vocational education.
In 2025, the organization continued its work on developing the Exemplary Vocational Education Institution based on Kyiv Professional Technological College.
Three professional standards were also updated, and educational programmes and training materials were developed for five culinary professions.
The team developed and launched short-term programmes for the HoReCa sector, trained trainers for their implementation, and continued strengthening partnerships with international donors.
At the same time, NGO “CULT FOOD” strengthened its organizational development and communication capacity. The new multilingual website became an open platform for presenting the organization’s activities, results, partnerships and materials, as well as for transparent engagement with donors, partners and the educational community.
2026 - Vocational Education, Healthy Eating for Preschool Children and Institutional Development
In 2026, NGO “CULT FOOD” continues its systemic work in vocational education and develops projects in Chernihiv and Zakarpattia Regions. The organization implements modern short-term and long-term training programmes, trains teachers and trainers, and expands cooperation with international partners.
The organization also launches pilot training for end beneficiaries, delivered by trainers prepared within projects supported by Expertise France. These trainings will help test the updated programmes and provide vocational education institutions with practical tools for further implementation.
The development of the Exemplary Vocational Education Institution in Kyiv also continues as a practical model for modernizing vocational education and training. It combines updated educational content, teacher training, partnerships with business and alignment with labour market needs.
In the area of healthy eating, the team is working on the creation of a collection of recipes and interactive materials for preschool education institutions to support the development of a healthy eating culture from an early age.
At the same time, NGO “CULT FOOD” is strengthening its own organizational capacity: strategic and fundraising planning, internal processes, financial sustainability, transparency, partnerships and management tools for higher-quality project implementation and the achievement of its mission.
Openness and Accountability
Most of our projects are completed with external independent audits conducted by accredited auditing companies in accordance with donor requirements.
We adhere to the principle of complete transparency, so we publish the results of audits directly on the pages of the relevant projects.
You can view the results of audits in the Our Projects section by opening the page for each completed project.
The relevant audit documents are also attached in this section for convenient review.
Audit report Period 01.10.2024-30.09.2025 NGO CULT FOODAudit report Period 01.08.2024-31.07.2025 NGO CULT FOOD
All our projects are financed transparently. We are grateful to every partner who invests in positive change. Every year, we record not only our expenses but also the impact of our activities. We invite you to see what we have managed to achieve.
All our projects are financed transparently. We are grateful to every partner who invests in positive change. Every year, we record not only our expenses but also the impact of our activities. We invite you to see what we have managed to achieve.
All our projects are financed transparently. We are grateful to every partner who invests in positive change.
Every year, we record not only our expenses but also the impact of our activities. We invite you to see what we have managed to achieve.
All our projects are financed transparently. We are grateful to every partner who invests in positive change.
Every year, we record not only our expenses but also the impact of our activities. We invite you to see what we have managed to achieve.
Our public organization has established a set of measures necessary to prevent, detect, and combat corruption and fraud, abuse, and misappropriation of resources or property of the public organization “KULT FOOD,” which are regulated by the relevant Policy. Clause 5.1. of this Policy defines the procedure for reporting corruption offenses.
Want to be part of the change?
Have ideas, want to collaborate, or support our mission? Reach out to us—together, we can achieve more!
Let’s Collaborate