Wild Food Fermentation

Wild Food Fermentation with Rachel de Thample

Foraging and fermenting go hand in hand. Both tap into our primitive instincts, allowing us to connect with the world around us in a deeper way. They also offer a multi-sensory experience that engages you on every level. But there’s also increasing science around how the more complex perennial roots of wild foods provide some of the best kick-starters for vivacious ferments, due to their ability to access a richer source of bacteria to get your kimchis, krauts and kombuchas bubbling with gut-friendly goodness.

The Wildbiome Project, spearheaded by Scottish forager Monica Wilde, is an ongoing and well-documented study that shows a wild diet not only adds more variety (Monica survived on a 100% foraged diet for a year, during which she ate 300 different plant species), but it also offers increased microbial diversity. Initial findings from a 2023 trial showed a +13-point increase in gut health scores (using a 1–100 scale).

On this course you’ll make a myriad of ferments featuring the best pickings from summer’s wild food canvas, such as elderflower sauerkraut, wild cherry umeboshi and wild greens pesto with grissini. You’ll also learn how to make and try elderflower water kefir and nettle and wild mint kombucha.

We kindly ask participants to bring three 200g jars and a carrier bag or other suitable bag (old jam jars are perfect, so long as the lids are not damaged), as this helps us keep the cost of the course down and encourages the reuse of old jars.

Rachel de Thample is an award-winning author who has worked in food, health and sustainability for more than 20 years. She teaches fermentation and seasonal nutrition courses at River Cottage in Devon, as well as Petersham Nurseries and Daylesford. She served as course director of the College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Natural Chef Diploma course in London, was the Head of Food for organic retailer Abel & Cole, and commissioning editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine.

She’s written seven books including Tonics & Teas and The River Cottage Fermentation Handbook, which won a Guild of Food Writers’ Award, and Winter Wellness, which was a finalist for Best Cookbook. Rachel studied Sustainable Food Systems at University College London and was instrumental in setting up the award-winning Crystal Palace Food Market. Her latest book is The River Cottage Bees & Honey Handbook, and her next book, The Fermentation Year (Bloomsbury), will be published in August 2026.

 

Cancellations
We appreciate that there will be circumstances whereby you will need to cancel your course or change the date. Given two or more weeks notice we are happy to offer a full refund. For cancellations within two weeks of the class date a full refund will be offered if we can refill your booking or 50% refund if not. If the notice is given 1 week before the course, the refund is at the discretion of The Fermentarium. We are unable to refund cancellations with less than 24 hours notice of the start of the class.