The Business of Fermentation: Building the next generation of fermented food brands
Fermentation is having a moment. From kimchi and miso to cashew cheese and chilli pastes, an ancient food-making technique is finding new life in the hands of a generation of ambitious food entrepreneurs.
But what does it actually take to build a business around fermented food?
Join us at LSE for a lively conversation with the founders behind some of the UK's exciting emerging fermented food brands, as we explore the opportunities, challenges and realities of building a startup with fermentation at its heart.
We'll go beyond the buzz around gut health to explore the business of fermentation. How do you turn a fermented product into a commercially viable brand? How do you scale production when you're working with living cultures? How do you introduce unfamiliar flavours to new audiences? And how do you market products that can be difficult to explain, let alone pronounce?
We'll explore:
Taste and consumer behaviour: Introducing new flavours, overcoming scepticism and getting customers hooked.
Production and supply chains: The practical challenges of manufacturing, consistency, shelf life and scaling fermented products.
Branding and marketing: Making fermentation accessible, exciting and commercially appealing.
The business opportunity: Why fermentation is attracting entrepreneurs, and where the next wave of innovation might come from.
Lessons from the founders: The surprises, mistakes and hard-won insights of building a fermented food startup.
Meet the founders
We'll be joined by entrepreneurs behind:
Angela Chou, co-founder of I am Nut OK, Artisan Vegan Cheese made from fermented cashews.
Maylin Stalic, co-founder of The Ferm, fresh kimchi and fermented vegetables using food waste
Zee Massoud, co-founder of Fil - Palestinian cooking sauces and fermented chilli shatta pastes and zero-waste condiments.
Lou Dillon, registered dietician and founder of Twisted Kombucha, an award-winning artisan kombucha brand fermented with scientific precision and a deep commitment to health and tradition.
Who should attend?
This event is for aspiring food entrepreneurs, early-stage founders, students, food industry professionals and anyone curious about how fermentation might shape the future of food.
Whether you're dreaming of launching your own fermented food brand, already building a food business, or simply fascinated by the intersection of food, innovation and entrepreneurship, come along for an evening of candid founder stories, practical insights and fresh perspectives.
Your host — Bonnie Chung
Bonnie Chung is an entrepreneur, founder coach, keynote speaker and Entrepreneur in Residence at LSE Generate.
She is the founder and former CEO of Miso Tasty, the pioneering Japanese food brand she built over 12 years, growing its presence to more than 8,000 stores across four continents. Having built a business around miso, one of Japan's most celebrated fermented ingredients, Bonnie knows firsthand the opportunities and complexities of bringing fermented foods to mainstream consumers.
She is also the author of three cookbooks, including Miso Tasty, Tofu Tasty and Miso, and now works with founders navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Drawing on her own experience of building and scaling a fermented food brand, Bonnie will lead an open and practical conversation about what it really takes to turn fermentation into a business.