The Fermentary

What's in the box: Orders draw from raw fermented foods, tonics, shrubs, vinegars and pantry condiments, with live cultures, books and kits available for home brewers.

The Fermentary is an Australian maker of traditional fermented foods, run by founder Sharon for about 14 years and now supplying retailers across the country. The focus is wild, slow fermentation using simple ingredients, and the range delivered to your door covers raw, naturally fermented products, tonics, shrubs and vinegars, plus dry store items like condiments, syrups, sauces and preserves. If you would rather make your own, the shop also sells living cultures, books, and equipment and kits. Rather than selling ferments as supplements, the site treats them as everyday food and puts real effort into helping people actually eat them, with recipes such as a traditional cola syrup for flavouring water kefir or kombucha. Hands-on workshops cover kombucha, water kefir and jun, tempeh and jamu, and shrubs, switchels and fire ciders, though several were sold out when we looked. The main caveat for subscription shoppers is that the site does not clearly describe a recurring box, delivery frequency or plan options, so check the shop before expecting a set monthly parcel. Think of it as a specialist fermentation producer and teacher that delivers, rather than a curated box service. For anyone in Australia who values traditional methods and wants to build fermentation into daily life, it is a credible, knowledgeable source.