The Fermentarium

Welcome to The Fermentarium: an independent organisation dedicated to promoting the small-scale production of “real” fermented food and drink. Fermented food and drink have existed in every society the world has seen. Many things that we eat or drink on a daily basis or irregularly as a treat are the result of some form of fermentation – bread, beer, cheese, wine, coffee, chocolate, some tea, yoghurt and even olives. The list is long and diverse but together they make up a large part of our diet. The modern food industry has resulted in a dramatic drop both in their nutritional and cultural value. Globally there has been a spread of highly-processed, pasteurised and long-life foods which have been calibrated to the lowest common denominator of taste – sweet, bland or bland and spicy. Highly intensive, chemical heavy agriculture, food factories, supermarkets and mountains of waste plague our times. An antidote to this is the revival of traditional artisanal methods which are utilized in home-made and small-batch production.