The VISION

Fermenting at home couldn’t be more relevant today. We are all hearing more and more about the role that our gut plays in our general health and  wellbeing, with fermented foods  at the heart of building out a diverse and thriving environment for good bacteria. 

This, and the desire to create a community around the weird and wonderful process of fermentation, inspired a fun, accessible and humble series of workshops to help teach people the basics. After refining these practical classes through experimentation, testing and feedback, Vinegar + Salt was started. We will be working and learning together, step by step, to create nutritious, good bacteria-packed krauts, kimchis and brews with your own creative touch and tastes!

Through Vinegar + Salt, I want to share the ancient and timeless craft of fermentation and pickling. Our small-group workshops are perfect for both beginners or fermenting fanatics who want to explore this low-waste and delicious practice with an open community of warm and curious humans.

Bringing

you back to basics

The journey

While I have always had a strong interest in the way foods impact our bodies and minds, my journey in looking deeper really only began two years ago. Now, I find myself driven by a desire to understand the value and importance of what we consume, and to share this with the community of people around me.

Prior to this, fermentation and pickling really weren’t on my radar. It wasn’t until ‘gut microbiome’ hit the internet, that my interest spiked and thus began my fermentation journey. Now that it has begun, my aim is to convince you to come on this journey with me.

I started by taking fermenting classes for kimchi, sauerkraut, preserved lemons and sourdough. Through trial and error, one accidental fermenting success led to another and I was hooked. Since then, I have bought numerous books and listened to endless podcasts on fermentation and the gut microbiome, to the point where it was all I could think about, and knew I wanted to take this further.

Like most of my friends, and a huge chunk of people living in London, I play  part in the corporate grind. It's becoming more and more clear to me that this way of life is truly not aligning with where I see myself going. Growing up in rural Australia on a farm, the importance of knowing where the food that I eat grows is deeply ingrained in my way of life. We always ate seasonally and locally, with our meat products often coming from our own farm. However, it wasn’t until I moved overseas that I realised how little emphasis people place on the origins of their groceries, which, through these workshops, I hope to help get people thinking more about.

What started as a bit of a personal hobby/ obsession, has now grown into a longing to bring people back to basics, through sharing the practice of  fermentation and pickling from the comfort of their own home. The name, Vinegar + Salt, expresses this idea of simplicity through the basic, staple and household ingredients which are key to these natural processes.

Embarking on this venture was deeply inspired by my personal journey toward my own gut health and the profound benefits I've discovered in consuming fermented foods. Beyond this, I felt a compelling desire to cultivate a community. In a world dominated by digital interactions, we've become disconnected from face-to-face engagements, especially with strangers. While taking a break from alcohol, I've found an immense sense of fulfilment in creating and hosting these classes that offer social connections without the backdrop of a pub setting. While I love pub culture as much as any Australian living in the UK does, there’s a scarcity of non-alcoholic social activities, which I want to unlock.

Vinegar + Salt is a community of people who can come together to create a warm environment for learning new skills, and making meaningful connections. Living in London, it's easy to become stuck in a bubble or a monotonous routine; through these workshops you will craft with your hands and gain knowledge of fermentation and flavours, and not only go home with your delicious, edible creations but also with new connections.

The Why

For the Fermenting with Friends workshops, without giving too much away, the day will start at the Sunday Farmers’ Markets in beautiful Victoria Park, East London. Here, you will meet the rest of the group and form a pair with a fellow fermenter. 

Victoria Markets offers an amazing selection of organic fruit and vegetables. You and your partner will talk through favourite flavours and what direction you want to take with your ferments (perhaps over a pastry and a coffee!). From the stalls, you will buy your chosen ingredients as well as what is listed on the provided essentials list.  We will then wander down Regent’s Canal, and make our way to the kitchen where the workshop will take place. From beginning to end, it usually takes around 3 hours, and you will go home with 2-4 jars of your fermented creations.

The what

    • Two jars: around 500g each (ideally with consistent width from top to bottom) - for your fermenting/pickling potions. Bring extras if you have them!

    • Your own fresh ingredients (ideally organic)  - we’ll get these at the market together, - please bring tote bags for transporting the fruit and veggies!

    • Apron and gloves if you’re worried about getting your clothes or hands dirty (or embrace a bit of messiness!)

    • Scales

    • Mixing bowls

    • Graters

    • Chopping boards

    • Chopping equipment (knives, food processor ect.) 

    • Takeaway recipes

    • Good quality salt (not table)

    • Ingredients for the kimchi paste

    • The basics of fermentation

    • How to make delicious kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles

    • An understanding of the health benefits of fermented foods

    • Zero-waste methods and how to  make the most of seasonal produce

ping me

If you’re not ready to take the leap into your fermenting and pickling journey just yet, that’s so fine. But if you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch!