Join us in London for a 2-day Fermenters Guild Symposium focused on celebrating the power, art and science of fermentation, set within the beautiful OmVed Gardens, a space dedicated to nature, community and food.
Who is this event for?
We are curating the Symposium for fermentation enthusiasts, chefs and food professionals interested in discovery, advanced learning and collaboration. Whether you’re an expert fermenter or keen hobbyist, immerse yourself in the world of fermentation with demos, panel talks, an interactive masterclass and delicious tastings. You'll be learning from fermentation experts, scientists, chefs and thinkers who are heading up the field.
What to expect?
Live theatre demo, panel discussions, ferment finger food, ‘brine bar', masterclasses, a marketplace and direct access to leaders in fermentation’s revival and future.
Day 1 : Sandor Katz Live Demo & Panel Discussion: 11th May 4pm - 10pm
The first day will open with a marketplace of some of UK's most interesting and top fermenters selling some of their delicious products. Followed by a live theatre demo by the legendary Sandor Katz, a panel discussion with some of the UK’s leading fermenters, chefs, authors, scientists and educators including Dr Johnny Drain, Chef Sam Black, Olia Hercules and Kenji Morimoto.
The evening will then break out into informal chats, fermenty finger food and a brine bar.
Maximum capacity: 80 guests
Day 2 :Koji & Mould Fermentation Masterclass: 12th May 10am - 4pm.
A unique Koji Fermentation Masterclass with Sandor Katz and Haruko Uchishiba
A deep dive into the magic and power of koji, mould fermentation and microbes. This unique masterclass is for experienced fermenters, chefs, producers with a foundational knowledge in fermentation. We will be diving in to making Amazake and Shio Koji using unique techniques and ingredients, plus discover the secrets behind Sakadane (yeast starter) and experience the living history of a 60 year old Nukadoko and how to make fermented Japanese pickles, Nukazuke.
Lunch cooked by the OmVed Kitchen is included in the ticket
Maximum capacity: 20 guests
About the hosts:
The Fermenters Guild is a trade organisation focused on supporting food & drink professionals who work with fermentation. It aims to grow the product category as a whole, demystifying fermentation by informing and engaging the public on fermented food through members’ classes, podcasts, substack and workshops nationwide. The guild includes producers, educators and chefs across the UK and Ireland, who it protects and provides resources to on everything from legislation and taxation to food safety and business growth.
www.fermentersguild.org @fermentersguild
Speakers:
Photo Credit: Jessica Tezak
Sandor Katz
Sandor Ellix Katz is a fermentation revivalist. A self-taught experimentalist who lives in rural Tennessee, he is the author of five books: Wild Fermentation; The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved; The Art of Fermentation; Fermentation as Metaphor; and his latest, Fermentation Journeys. The Art of Fermentation, which received a James Beard award and has been widely translated, was selected by the New York Times as one of "The 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years." Sandor's books, along with the hundreds of fermentation workshops he has taught around the world, have helped to catalyze a broad revival of the fermentation arts. For more information, check out his website www.wildfermentation.com
Dr Johnny Drain
Dr. Johnny Drain is an internationally recognised fermentation expert, food innovator, and CEO of HypeSound, a startup pioneering the use of sound to optimise fermentation. With a PhD from Oxford, he has advised many of the world’s leading restaurants, including Noma, Mirazur and The Fat Duck, using insights from science to conjure deliciousness and advance sustainable gastronomy. Johnny co-founded Win-Win, creators of the first cocoa-free chocolate, and MOLD Magazine, a platform exploring food, culture, and technology. He is the author of Adventures in Fermentation, a book that combines a dive into the science of fermentation with Johnny's personal journey across the globe exploring ferments @drjohnnydrain
Olia Hercules
Olia Hercules is a cook, teacher, activist and story teller. Born in the south of Ukraine, Olia has called home many places, including Cyprus, Italy and the UK. She is an author of four cookbooks, including the award-winning Mamushka and Andre Simone short-listed Summer Kitchens. Apart from researching and writing about her native and adopted foodways, Olia teaches cookery, including ancestral fermentation techniques from her home in London and online. Olia's latest book is a family memoir called Strong Roots. She lives with her husband and two children in London @oliahercules
Sam Cooper
Sam Cooper (also known as Chef Sam Black) is a chef, author, fermenter and grower based in west Wales. He has spent over a decade working with fermentation in kitchens, gardens, and small farms, guided more by curiosity. He is a Sunday Times bestselling author, known for The Self-Sufficiency Garden and The Fermentation Kitchen, where he writes about fermentation as a means to unlock unique and powerful flavours in kitchens of all shapes and sizes. His work sits at the intersection of food, flavour, ecology, and traditional foodways, with an emphasis on learning through practice and staying attentive to the living systems that make food possible. He lives and works in rural Wales, where most of his fermentation begins with what’s growing nearby @chef.sam.black
Haruko Uchishiba, The Koji Fermenteria @the_koji_fermentaria
Haruko is a London-based fermenter, koji specialist, and certified Miso Sommelier. Haruko bridges the gap between ancient Japanese tradition and modern gastronomy. Having shared her expertise with renowned chefs and fermentation specialists, she is dedicated to demystifying complex microbial processes and transforming them into accessible culinary art. While she teaches the fundamentals of koji, miso, and shoyu in her North London workshops, her current passion lies in Sakadane—developing unique, koji-based yeast starters for bread. Through her teaching, Haruko aims to inspire chefs and home cooks alike to embrace koji as a versatile, essential ingredient @the_koji_fermenteria
Kenji Morimoto
Kenji Morimoto is a chef, content creator and food writer based in London and author of FERMENT: a cookbook (released April 2025). As a fourth generation Japanese American, his cultural identity has always been grounded in food. As a child, he was in charge of making tsukemono (Japanese pickles) for family gatherings, learning from and surrounded by elders recreating flavours of home. In 2020, he started his Instagram @kenjcooks to document his interest in fermentation and connecting the dots between diasporic traditions and his own.
Since then, he's led numerous pop-ups and held chef residencies in London and Ho Chi Minh City, appeared on BBC Saturday Kitchen, published long-form essays and recipes in Guardian Feast, Waitrose Magazine. and Delicious Magazine, and spoken on panels at the British Library on themes of community, food, and immigrant narratives. In 2023, he was a finalist for the BBC Food & Farming Digital Creator of the Year Award and in 2025, was a finalist for the Fortnum & Mason Rising Star Content Creator Award.
Host for the day:
Neil Buttery is an award-winning food historian, chef and author, specialising in the history of British food. He is the author of four books, including Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England's Most Influential Housekeeper, about 18th century Manchester legend Elizabeth Raffald and The Philosophy of Puddings. He is also the host of the popular British Food History Podcast and co-host of A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink. Much of his research, as well as his recipes, can be found on his blog British Food: A History. He is currently writing a book on the subject of Britain's forgotten domestic fermentation culture.
About OmVed Gardens:
OmVed Gardens is a garden, exhibition, events, and learning space in North London dedicated to exploring the connections between food, ecology and creativity for health and climate resilience. We are on a mission to inspire ecological awareness and action, and deepen our understanding of interconnectedness with the natural world.
As a registered Community Interest Company, all our activities prioritise social and ecological objectives. Whether collaborating with chefs, creatives, gardeners, or schools, OmVed Gardens is a hub for education, connection, and action. We aim to inspire individuals and communities to reimagine their role in building a healthier, more resilient world.
We work to increase biodiversity - of species, seeds, food systems, and participation, through regenerative gardening, seed saving, habitat creation, and ecological education. Our space serves as a living example of how urban areas can be transformed into thriving ecosystems that support both human and non-human communities.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter for tips from the garden and kitchen and hear about our upcoming activities.
www.omvedgardens.com · @omvedgardens
Please note: Wheelchair access across the site is currently limited while landscape works are underway. For events, there is drop-off access by car to the Barn main building. If you require wheelchair drop-off, please get in touch with us ahead of time. There is an accessible toilet located inside the Barn.
Subsidised Tickets: If this workshop is not monetarily accessible, please write to us at events@omvedgardens.com to enquire about a subsidised ticket rate. Subject to availability.
Refund Policy: Tickets are non-refundable, except in cases where an event is sold out and a waiting list exists for the session. Refund requests can be made up to 10 days prior to the session. Please write to us for any refund inquiries.
