Mead Farm Foods

Mead Farm Foods Food founder sharing real food and slow nourishing way of living. Sourdough, fermented foods, daily movement, countryside living.

Building something meaningfull, rooted in quality and care.

06/06/2026

I went to Hay-on-Wye Festival recently to listen to Professor Tim Spector .spector talking about fermentation and the research scientists are doing around it.

We’re learning that fermented foods may influence much more than digestion. Scientists are now exploring the connection between the gut and the brain, and how the microbes living in our gut communicate with other parts of the body.

Our gut is constantly sending signals to our brain, which is why researchers are becoming increasingly interested in the role food may play in our overall wellbeing, mood and mental health.

What we feed our bodies matters 💚

I know that I feel better when I make fermented foods part of my daily diet.

The good news is that there is so much choice. Kefir, natural yoghurt, artisan cheese, kimchi, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented cucumbers (my favourite Polish ogórki kiszone), kvass, water kefir, and of course, kombucha.

These traditional foods have been around for generations, and it’s fantastic to see more people discovering them again.

If you do buy fermented foods, try to look for raw, unpasteurised products made with good-quality ingredients, and support local producers where you can. It all matters.

You don’t have to change everything.

Start with one spoonful.





06/06/2026

One of the things I love most about growing food is that it completely changes the way you look at it.

When you’ve planted the seed, tied up the tomato plants, watered them through dry spells, worried about the wind, and waited patiently for months, you stop taking food for granted.

You gain a new appreciation for the time, effort and natural processes behind every meal.

Even spending a short time in the garden helps me slow down, get outdoors, connect with nature and switch off from the constant rush of everyday life.

This weekend, if you get the chance, spend a little time outside. Dig in the soil, plant something, grow something, or simply pay attention to what’s happening around you.

I think we’re all better when we stay connected to where our food comes from.

05/06/2026

My Fridays are clearly getting more exciting these days... 😅

This week has been less about making ferments and more about food safety, HACCP, guidance documents, calibration records, pH meters, and learning everything I need to launch fermented foods properly.

One thing people don’t always see when you’re building a food business is how much happens behind the scenes. It’s not all recipes and pretty jars. A lot of the work is understanding the science, food safety, fermentation processes, and making sure every product is made safely and consistently.

Maybe that’s why I loved science so much at school.

There’s something fascinating about seeing how simple ingredients can be transformed through natural fermentation, and being able to measure and understand what’s happening along the way.

Today’s job was calibrating my pH meter and checking the pH of my green tea kombucha.

The verdict? Perfect. 🍃

Still one of my favourite drinks in warm weather and one of the easiest ways to enjoy fermented foods as part of everyday life.

01/06/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions I come across is that pickling and fermenting are the same thing.
Both methods preserve vegetables, but the process is completely different.

Pickling uses vinegar to preserve food quickly.

Natural fermentation uses only vegetables, salt, water and time. During the fermentation process, naturally occurring bacteria begin converting sugars into lactic acid, creating the tangy flavour and helping preserve the vegetables naturally.
This is known as lacto-fermentation.

Live, unpasteurised fermented foods contain beneficial lactic acid bacteria, including Lactobacillus species, that develop naturally during fermentation. These live cultures are what make traditional fermented foods different from vinegar-pickled vegetables.

Home fermenting is one of the oldest food preservation methods in the world, yet many people are only just discovering the difference between pickling and natural fermentation.

Whether it’s sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented cucumbers, carrots, radishes or cauliflower, the process relies on natural bacteria, salt and time rather than vinegar.

Do you make pickles, fermented vegetables, or both?

Ask me your fermentation questions below.

What a week 💚The hottest week of the year so far, plenty of kombucha to keep cool, and a few days away in Pembrokeshire ...
31/05/2026

What a week 💚

The hottest week of the year so far, plenty of kombucha to keep cool, and a few days away in Pembrokeshire with my daughter.

We packed a lot into a few days — beach walks, surfing, hiking, and some of the most beautiful coastline Wales has to offer. It was exactly the kind of break I didn’t realise I needed.

Back at home and I’ve been harvesting, planting more, fermenting, and trying to keep up with everything that seems to grow faster at this time of year.

I’ve also been enjoying something I never take for granted — having time to cook simple meals with fresh herbs from the garden, free-range eggs from our hens, and home-fermented radishes on the side.

My batteries feel fully recharged, and I’m ready for a busy week ahead.

What was the best part of your week?

30/05/2026

One of my favourite things about fermentation is that you can actually watch it happening.
These radishes started off bright pink in a clear brine.
Day by day, the colour slowly moved out of the radishes and into the liquid. By day four, the brine had turned a beautiful pink and the radishes looked completely different.
Nothing added except salt, water and time.
And that’s what still fascinates me about fermentation. The same vegetable can become something entirely new in just a few days.
I eat fermented vegetables with almost every meal, and these radishes are one of my favourites. They’re especially good on top of poached eggs and sourdough toast, adding a tangy crunch that completely transforms a simple breakfast.
These ended up sliced over my breakfast this morning.
Have you ever tried fermented radishes?





23/05/2026

Radishes are growing faster than I can eat them right now… so this is usually the point where fermentation starts happening in the kitchen.

Some are split.
Some have insect damage.
Some definitely wouldn’t make it onto a supermarket shelf.

But they’re still perfectly good food 💚

They don’t need to be “perfect” to become something incredible.

By day 3 these radishes become fizzy, tangy, alive and still ridiculously crunchy.

And that crunch… honestly addictive.

RECIPE
• Radishes
• 2% salt brine
(20g salt per 1 litre water)
1. Wash the radishes
2. Pack into a clean jar
3. Pour over the brine until fully submerged
4. Leave at room temperature (18–22°C), away from direct sunlight
5. Open daily to release pressure — or use an airlock lid

Usually ready in around 3–5 days depending on temperature.

Once fermented, keep in the fridge.

Have you ever tried fermented radishes before?


 
 
 


21/05/2026

Most people only know radish in its raw form.
Sharp. Harsh. Almost aggressive.

But fermentation changes it completely.

The texture softens.
The flavour deepens.
And somehow it stops tasting “loud” and starts tasting alive.

This is the part of fermentation I love most — watching ordinary vegetables transform into something far more complex with just salt, time and live bacteria.

And honestly… once you taste real live ferments, supermarket versions start feeling very flat.

One of the biggest things I notice at my workshops is how surprised people are by how different REAL homemade kimchi tas...
18/05/2026

One of the biggest things I notice at my workshops is how surprised people are by how different REAL homemade kimchi tastes compared to most shop-bought versions.

Not just stronger.
More alive.

The flavour changes constantly depending on the stage of fermentation:
day 3 tastes fresh, bright and crunchy,
day 10 becomes deeper and more complex,
and after a couple of months it develops that rich sourness people suddenly become obsessed with.

I genuinely love watching people discover that fermentation isn’t just “healthy food” — it’s food that evolves.

And when people try live ferments side by side at the workshops, they finally understand why traditional fermentation matters.

Because this isn’t just spicy cabbage.
It’s live food.

Food that’s changing, developing and creating beneficial bacteria naturally over time.

I also think many of us are missing this now.
Most modern food is ultra-processed, sterilised and designed to sit on shelves for months.

But fermented foods used to be part of everyday life in so many cultures.
Not as a trend.
Just… normal food.

Maybe that’s why so many people say they “feel different” when they start eating it regularly.

Not because it’s magic.
Maybe because the body recognises real food.

Follow for more fermentation, gut health & real food content 🌿

17/05/2026

Fermentation makes far more sense once you experience it in real life.

Yesterday’s workshop was full of those little moments where everything suddenly clicked:
– that kimchi changes flavour every single day
– why live ferments taste completely different
– why seasonal vegetables matter
– and why traditional fermentation was never supposed to feel complicated or intimidating.

One of my favourite parts is watching people realise they can actually make this food themselves.

And once you taste real live ferments, it’s very hard to go back.

The 13th June workshop is now SOLD OUT 🤍

I only have a few spaces remaining for 6th June.

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Redwick, Magor
Caldicot
NP263

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