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Bristol’s first dedicated fermented food shop, Every Good Thing, is the latest exciting new addition to join Wapping Wharf.
Dr Caroline Gilmartin, a fermented food specialist, is behind the business, which will open its first shop within Bristol’s much-loved harbourside community in early October. Although she has a background in microbial genetics, Caroline had moved away from her scientific background, instead pursuing a career first in health service management, then holiday cottage management until she fell seriously ill with suspected pneumonia in 2014.
To aid her recovery, a friend offered her some milk kefir grains. Caroline was sceptical at first but gave it a go and felt so much better that it reawakened in her an interest in microbiology. This led her to start researching the link between our guts and what we eat and experimenting with various foodie ferments.
Gradually, through a series of workshops and demos, she began to spread the word about how to make and manage your own kefir and ferments – so far at least a thousand sets of Every Good Thing kefir grains have been sent out to customers. Caroline’s book “A Practical Guide to Fermented Foods” will be published in October.
Caroline said: “Several years later, and my family are more than ready for me to take my venture out of our kitchen, where the smell of kimchi can be overpowering at times! I am very much looking forward to opening at Wapping Wharf, a part of the city that I love. I am delighted to be in such excellent company with some of the finest independent traders in the city.
“Fermented foods are not new: it’s been used as a method of preserving food and making it more nutritious and delicious for thousands of years. Today, we know for absolute certainty that the population of microbes that lives in our guts is the key to our health and well-being.
“Scientific research will always underpin the work done at Every Good Thing so customers can have complete confidence in everything that we offer.”
Cultures, equipment, advice, demonstrations and workshops will be on offer to help people make their own ferments at home. Every Good Thing will also be selling milk and water kefir, kombucha, their renowned kimchi, curtido and sauerkraut, chilli sauce, kefir grains, kombucha scobies.
The shop will operate as a production kitchen and workshop space on Mondays and Tuesdays and be open for the purchase of ferments and equipment, and to answer any ferment related queries, for the rest of the week.
Stuart Hatton, managing director at Umberslade, the developer behind Wapping Wharf, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Every Good Thing to our unique community of independents. It’s important to us that the businesses that call Wapping Wharf their home are complimentary to one another; and we’re certain that this latest addition will bring something different to the mix.”
Every Good Thing will open in the unit previously home to CUPP Bubble Tea, which is now focusing on its other four stores.
Wapping Wharf is in the heart of Bristol’s historical and cultural quarter, with its tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route, Gaol Ferry Steps, providing an important connection between south Bristol to the city centre.
Now home to over 40 independent businesses, many of which are based within CARGO – a popular hub made of converted shipping containers, Wapping Wharf features some of the city’s best independent restaurants, shops, cafes and lifestyle businesses.
