What's Brewing for World Ferment Day? 

Holly Davis aims to seduce people to better ways of thinking about, sourcing, preparing, and eating a balanced wholefood meal, by teaching them to make or feeding them, irresistibly delicious foods and ferments, that happen to be good for them.I have been a long time champion for the attainment of great health through the use of sustainable organic whole foods and ferments; appropriate to the season, tailored to the needs of the consumer. My cooking style uses traditional ingredients and embraces the dietary principles practiced by societies prior to industrialised food production. Taste, texture, nourishment, simplicity and beauty underpin it all.

Catalina Vallejo, founder of Fermentados The Greenest Me, a pioneering commercial fermented foods brand in Ecuador, with 10 years of experience creating ancestral foods to nourish modern microbiomes. An Integrative Health and Nutrition Coach (IIN) and Culinary Coach (Harvard Medical School), passionate about fermentation, supplementation, and healthy aging. She has guided over 1,000 students in discovering the fascinating world of their microorganisms. A lifelong learner and adventurous fermentation enthusiast. Catalina Vallejo, creadora de Fermentados The Greenest Me, marca pionera en fermentos comerciales en Ecuador, con 10 años de experiencia creando alimentos ancestrales para nutrir microbiotas modernas. Coach de Salud y Nutrición Integrativa (IIN) y Culinary Coach (Harvard Medical School), apasionada por la fermentación, la suplementación y el envejecimiento saludable. Ha acompañado a más de 1.000 alumnos a descubrir el fascinante universo de sus microorganismos. Incansable estudiante y aventurera fermentada.

Jo is an AFN registered associate nutritionist, medical herbalist and fermentologist. She is in clinical practice, as well as working on her PhD (University of Surrey, TEAGASC and World Institute of Kimchi), focussing on a particular form of fermented food. She is also conducting research into herbal oxymels, comparing what compounds they extract compared to herbal tinctures. Jo works with people one to one, as well as consulting and running events relating to nutrition, herbs and microbes. In 2025, she founded World Ferment Day and in 2026, she was honoured to be made a global kimchi ambassador for the World Institute of Kimchi. She loves reading, learning, asking questions, being in the woods, fermenting, herbing and having fun. Website: www.jo-webster.com Substack: www.substack.com/@jowebster Choosing our reality LinkedIn: Jo Webster https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-webster-health/

Fran is a certified specialist in food fermentation who has taught over 2,500 people in person over the past 8 years. Her client base is diverse; she teaches courses open to the public, runs a certificate programme for professionals, and organises corporate events. She trains food scouts and kitchen teams. For several years, she taught fermentation at the international Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland on Lake Geneva, amongst other things. Her German-language online courses are offered via 7hauben, an online cookery course platform for top chefs and experts. She is also the programme curator for the fermentation section of the international Soil To Soul Symposium, which takes place annually in Zurich. Her business is called Wild Pulse (wild-pulse.ch).

The Preserving Chef is dedicated to helping people discover the art, skill, and joy of food preservation. Led by Certified Master Food Preserver and Chef Connor Flynn and his wife Laura Flynn, The Preserving Chef provides hands-on and online education designed to make preserving approachable, practical, and enjoyable for everyone. From canning and fermentation to sourdough, kombucha, food preservation, soups, stocks, and more, participants learn how to safely preserve food, build confidence in the kitchen, and make the most of seasonal ingredients. With a focus on traditional techniques, modern food-safety practices, sustainability, nutrition, and reducing food waste, The Preserving Chef brings generations of food knowledge into today’s kitchens. Whether you are brand new to preserving or looking to expand your skills, The Preserving Chef offers the knowledge and confidence to create delicious foods at home. It is about learning, making memories, saving money, and preserving more than food it is preserving traditions for generations to come

Katsu Lask aka Fermentation Love is a big fan of ferments, especially using them as ingredients in her daily cooking.

Sole Saburido Álvarez is a Doctor of Plant Biology and educator who explores fermentation as a living ecological practice at the intersection of botany and microbiology. She founded Fermentos da Meiga in Mexico in 2019, began collaborating with The Fermentation School in 2021, and relocated the project to her native Galicia in 2023. Through hands-on workshops, Sole bridges rigorous science with traditional wisdom, fostering seasonal awareness and community well-being.

Rose Whitehouse is a Devon, U.K-based fermenter and educator, originally from New Zealand. She has been fermenting for over 16 years and is passionate about the way fermentation connects us to food, seasonality and the wider food chain. Rose is the fermenter for Shillingford Organics near Exeter, where she makes small-batch ferments using vegetables grown on the farm, adapting flavours and ingredients to the seasons. She also runs fermentation workshops around Devon, often on the farm, bringing people closer to the journey from field to fork.

Theresa Keane is a chef, culinary educator and food safety professional who is obsessed with fermentation. She founded Booch and Bia to share fermentation skills through workshops and events and brings people together around food through her Wild Table gatherings. Her work explores ferments from across the globe alongside Ireland’s own fermentation traditions. Theresa holds a degree in Food Science and Technology, an MSc in Applied Culinary Nutrition and a BA (Hons) in Botanical Cuisine. She lectures part-time in Culinary Arts at TU Dublin and teaches fermentation across Ireland. Her awards include the inaugural Charles Michel “Tasting the Earth” Award in 2022 and the Paula Mee “Memorial Award for Applied Culinary Nutrition” in 2026. Theresa is delighted to be Irish Ambassador for World Ferment Day. For her, fermentation is a way to discover flavours, use ingredients thoughtfully and bring people together around the table.

Laure is proud to be the World Ferment Day Ambassador for Wales. A naturopath and founder of ABSORB, an independent small-batch producer of water kefir and sauerkraut, she has been inspiring people across South Wales to discover the world of fermentation since 2017. Her passion extends beyond producing ferments: Laure organises fermentation workshops, talks, Gut Gatherings and a fermentation club with guest speakers, as well as a WhatsApp community connecting local fermenters. She is also a member of the Fermenters Guild UK. Laure discovered water kefir during her naturopathic studies and was inspired by the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine to create her own colourful combinations of fruits, flowers and herbs. Through ABSORB and her work as WFD Ambassador, Laure’s aim is to bring people together, share knowledge and awaken people to new possibilities for their body and health through fermentation.

Kirsten is co-founder of The Fermentation School and will wear two hats on this webinar, as host and fellow WFD ambassador.