Announcing: a Fermentation Celebration

It’s that time of year again… The window-box tomatoes are ripening, the autumn drizzle is setting in, and we’re beginning to think about pickles.

Last year, we hosted the first Annual London Review Cake Shop Pickle Competition, inviting Londoners to bring their homemade pickles, chutneys, brews and ferments to the Cake Shop to be judged by us. In the process, we discovered a live culture (microorganism pun!) of pickling and fermentation in our fair city. The evening itself – half cosy village fête, half all-purpose booze-up – was indisputably one of the highlights of our year.

So we’re doing it again! We’re pleased to announce that the second Annual London Review Cake Shop Pickle Competition will be held on Thursday 15 October. Last year’s reigning champion will be returning as a judge, the Thirsty Boys will be back with their prize-winning beer (yes, the prize was awarded by us; the beer is really wonderful though), and this time food from the Cake Shop will be on sale all evening, in addition to pickle-based snacks.

We’re thrilled to have Kylee Newton joining us on the evening to judge the entries. Author of The Modern Preserver and the chutney mastermind behind Newton & Pott, Kylee is our sort of pickler. She pots up her preserves in her tiny Hackney kitchen, using seasonal ingredients and adding beautiful little touches: fresh herbs, exotic fruits, flaked almonds for texture – and sometimes a splash of hard spirits.

We’ve got four categories this year: pickles, vinegars and brines; chutneys, relishes and jams; cordials, alcohols and fizz; and miscellaneous. (We’re particularly excited about miscellaneous.) Sign up to enter, and join us on the 15 October for another evening of fermentation festivities!