Chief Executive Officer

Owner of The Koji Kitchen

After studying chemistry & biology, I took the natural path from park ranger to bike mechanic, line cook to bar manager, and animal vaccine researcher to Victorian confectionery plant site manager, before going back to study for an MSc in Gastronomy. I learnt food-based systems theory, got into food chains and the path it takes to bring a meal to the table, and wrote my thesis on Japanese whisky philosophy in Kyoto. During this time I learned about saké, and thus koji.

When I returned to the UK, I became obsessed with mouldy rice and fermentation at large, so in 2020 I started The Koji Kitchen in Edinburgh. As a small producer, I became part of the incredible fermentation community and formed a deep respect for the practitioners of the craft & their incredible skill and stories.

As CEO, I offer the guild leadership, vision and my bizarre and multidisciplinary skill set. After facing adversity and adversaries within food standards, I understand how to engage with officials and I will continue to do this in a professional capacity for the guild, its members and fermentation at large.

Chief Community Officer

Owner of The Plucky Pickle

After a career in hosting renewable energy conferences and global events for companies such as Informa and Thomson Reuters, I turned my passion for fermenting into a small business in Manchester, producing ferments for delis/restaurants & teaching the public and hospitality industry.

My inspiration will always be my Italian Nonna, whose jars of sour brilliance developed my taste buds from an early age. I lived in Russia and Germany in the early 90s and have been fermenting and preserving for about 30 years!

As CCO, my goal is to spread the love for fermented food and drink, demystify fermentation and show the public how easy it is to preserve seasonal, local produce and how to use it in their everyday cooking.

I’ll be engaging with you all and focusing on public outreach and education, promoting fermented food and drink through the guild’s social media channels and putting on events for The Fermenters Guild and the public.

Chief Trading Officer

Author & Owner of Kim Kong Kimchi

I started making fermented foods while moonlighting from my (then) day job as a journalist to develop cauliflower kimchi ‘vegan zombie brains’ for a Halloween pop-up. This awoke something in me, so in 2016 I started Kim Kong Kimchi, making (non-cauliflower) kimchi for my neighbours, local shops and eventually the likes of Ocado, Whole Foods and Planet Organic. Along the way I've learned about exporting, outsourcing, distributors and more.

In March my first book (Of Cabbages and Kimchi) was published by Particular Books (Penguin), exploring the ten greatest ‘living’ ferments. I hope that it gets people as comfortable with welcoming microbes into their kitchens and making living fermented foods as they are with baking bread. I enjoyed researching the science and stories for it so much and have been so thrilled at the kind reviews it's had from the likes of Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater and David Zilber.

As CTO, I am the advocate and first point of contact for our professional guild members and work to facilitate relationships with external services and suppliers, as well as putting together publications.

Chief Finance Officer

Owner of Kultured

Studying Business and Mandarin at Leeds Uni, I spent a year in Taiwan, home of mind blowing cuisine, not in small part helped by their huge variety of small scale soy sauce breweries.

On returning home to Scotland I trained as a chef after which I moved South. My first appointment as Head Chef was in 2016 for Londons first naked restaurant, The Bunyadi, a pop up where (due to the propensity for the clientele to disrobe) no cooking was permitted, this forced me to dive into the world of fermentation experimenting with smoke, salt and most of all microbes.

In 2018 I opened Kultured, a Gin bar in Soho where we made all our own tonics using kombucha, water kefir and any local wild yeast we could coral into taking part. Kultured has since metamorphosed into a miso and aminos (like soy sauce but without soy) maker, using organic locally sourced grains and heritage British beans.

I’m excited to have been nominated as CFO for the guild where I (insert bean counting pun) and plant paving stones for our flourishing financial future.