Fermented Food Festival 2025

We recently held our third Fermented Food Festival, and it truly was our biggest and most successful yet. What began as an idea from Sally Peach has grown into a much-anticipated annual event that brings together fermentation experts, passionate home fermenters, and curious food lovers for a day of learning, tasting, and connecting.

Sally has been with us from the start. It was her vision to create a festival that explores fermentation in all its forms—food, drinks, and everything in between. Thanks to her dedication and enthusiasm, the event has become something quite special.

This year, the festival was a key part of the Scenic Rim Eat Local Month program. We’re grateful to the Scenic Rim Regional Council for their continued support, which helps us bring this event to life each year. We also welcomed back ABC Radio Brisbane as a media partner for the second time. It was a real pleasure to have Kelly Higgins-Devine join us, bringing her warmth and energy as one of our MCs, and thanks to ever-supportive Alison Alexander for attending the festival as well.

Over 1,250 people attended the festival, enjoying an inspiring day filled with expert presentations, interactive demonstrations, local market stalls, and plenty of delicious food and drink. Rick from Silk N Oak provided live music throughout the day, adding to the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

One of the things that made the day so memorable was the sense of community and curiosity. Stallholders told us they were blown away by the genuine interest from visitors, who weren’t just there to shop—they wanted to learn. There was a shared appreciation for the craft, care, and tradition behind each product.

The program featured two dedicated educational spaces: the Main Stage and the Demo Marquee. Across both areas, we hosted talks and demonstrations on a wide range of fermentation topics. Guests heard from experts like Karen Pyke (Metabolic Balance) on gut health and nutrition, and Valerie Pearson, author of Ferment It, on sourdough. Other sessions included practical guides to making kimchi, honey mead, Indian dosa, miso, tempeh, kombucha, sauerkraut, beetroot kvass, Villi yoghurt, winter fire tonic, ginger beer, cold-fermented chillies and kefir.

And of course, visitors were able to experience everything else Summer Land Camels has to offer—patting and feeding our gentle camels, enjoying a farm tour or camel ride, and dining at our café.

If you’re keen to try your hand at fermentation, make sure you explore the collection of recipes shared by this year’s speakers—available on this page.

We're already looking ahead to next year. If you're interested in being involved as a speaker or stallholder for the 2026 Fermented Food Festival, you'll find the relevant forms on this page.

Thanks to everyone who joined us—see you again next year!