Ferment! is fun for the whole family. We’ve got fancy cheeses and wine for mum, craft beers, ciders and cured meats for the dads and plenty of chocolates, yoghurts and breads for the kids.

Ferment! is a festival that celebrates the smaller producer crafting excellent products that have been fermented at some point in their lifetime. We seek to open your eyes to the range of fermented goods that line the shelves of your favourite deli or bakery as well as the health benefits of them all.

Come along to try incredible foods and drinks from over 60 artisan producers from across New Zealand. From Northland to Raglan – we’ve got some of the best in one room to celebrate Fermentation!

The festival is set up like a farmers market so that you can wander through and taste samples or buy products from the producers.

Open your eyes to the fantastic world of fermentation. It’s more than just bread and yoghurt! Come experience the best of NZ’s chocolate, tea, kimchi, kombucha, cider, salami, kefir, sodas, cheese and so much more!

Also look out for the educational workshop and tasting spaces! We have some of New Zealands leading producers, chefs and respective experts to host a range of interactive workshops for kids and adults and masterclass tastings.

Tasting & Workshop Event Planner:

Bookings for Workshops will go fast so make sure you have secured your spot before then.

Baking Breads for the Kids                          $20

Get to put fillings into your own bread from salami chunks and feta to smarties and chocolate. Each child will get to learn to mix and knead their own dough, put in fillings and walk away with their individualised baked bread rolls.

Five workshops each day: 10.30, 11.30, 12.30, 1.30, 2.30.
Each class will last 40 minutes

WORKSHOP SPACE A

Understanding Cheese                                 $30

Taste your way to cheese expertise in this interactive class. You’ll be given a variety of hard and soft cheeses produced from across New Zealand so that you can finally learn about cheese and of course master your cheese board skills!

Two workshops each day: 10.30am & 1.30pm

Mastering Sourdough                                   $30

Isabelle, of Bread & Butter Bakery, one of Auckland's top experts on sourdough will walk you through how Sourdough is produced. In this class you will learn about the history, how to start (and keep) your starter, how to shape your dough and so much more. Did we mention that you'll also walk away with some freshly baked goodness?

Two workshops each day: 12pm & 3pm

Each class will last 45-60 minutes

WORKSHOP SPACE B

Kombucha, Teas & Tonics                            $30

Deli and supermarket shelves are now booming with their kombucha ranges but now it is time to really delve deep into the world of fermented beverages and learn about their probiotic goodness. We've got a collection of delicious kombucha, tonics, kefirs and teas for you to taste your way through!

Two workshops each day: 10.30am & 1.30pm

Salamis to Proscuitto                                    $30

You read that right! Cured meats are one of the most important fermented foods found on the shelves of your favourite deli. In this tasting, Hannah Miller (A Lady Butcher) will teach you about how meats are fermented in their preserving stages and, of course, taste your way through a variety of cured meats.

Two workshops each day: 12pm & 3pm

Each class will last 45-60 minutes

WORKSHOP SPACE C

Pickles, Kraut and Kimchi​                $30

Let Tanah Dowdle of Gourmet Joy whisk you away with the diversity of pickled vegetables and their incredible history dating way back to the day of the Mongols. She'll be using her 45+ years as a chef to show you how to naturally add a bit of zing to your dishes & you'll get to try a couple of exclusive goodies!

Two workshops each day: 10.30am & 12pm

Strictly Adults Wine/Sake/Cider                 $30

Here is a tasting purely for adults where Meg Abbott-Walker DipWSET will be personally taking you through some of New Zealand's best alcoholic fermented beverages from Cider to Sake to Mead to Craft Beers to Wine. So much to taste our way through, so little time! 

Two workshops each day: 1.30pm & 3pm

Each class will last 45-60 minutes

WORKSHOP SPACE D

Chocolate & Fermentation                           $30

Join Luke from The Chocolate Bar for a guided tasting of some of the world’s finest chocolate. For these sessions, Luke has sourced some delicious and unusual chocolate bars from the best craft chocolate makers on the planet. Each chocolate tasted will contain a different fermented food or drink, whether it be wine, bread, coffee, tea or a number of other delicious inclusions. And of course chocolate itself is a fermented food, which you can learn more about at this event, along with the rest of the bean-to-bar process. This promises to be a fun, interesting and scrumptious experience!

Saturday: 10.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm & 3pm

Chocolate & Beer Pairing                             $30

Join Luke from The Chocolate Bar and the guys from Beer Jerk for a guided chocolate and craft beer tasting. This will feature some of the world's finest chocolate and craft beers, allowing you to indulge in some fantastic combinations as well as developing your understanding of food and beverage matches. Don't miss out on this opportunity to taste some rare and delicious bars and brews!

Sunday: 10.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm & 3pm

Each class will last 45-60 minutes