The Big Brine: Debut Pickling and Fermentation Festival Sells Out at Hackney Bridge

“We’ve known for a while now that London has an appetite for the bold and briny flavours of pickles and ferments but seeing thousands of people turn out to crunch, munch, sip, and celebrate all things pickled and fermented with us this weekend completely blew us away — The Big Brine proved that pickling isn’t just a trend, it’s a full-blown movement.”

— Nick Vadasz, Founder of Vadasz, headline sponsor of The Big Brine

The Big Brine the UK’s newest festival dedicated to pickling, fermentation and brining — headline sponsored by Vadasz — sold out across every session of its debut weekend at Hackney Bridge, drawing more than 5,000 attendees across the two days and closing on Sunday 15th September having far exceeded organisers’ expectations.

Held at the fully accessible Hackney Bridge (Units 1-28, Echo Building, East Bay Lane, London E15 2SJ) on 12th and 13th September, the festival’s opening weekend drew crowds beyond what organisers had planned for, with more than 30 restaurants and traders across the site working flat out — and restocking mid-service — to keep up with demand.

The festival is the brainchild of founders Clarice Downes, Emma Winstanley, Mitra Esmizadeh, Niall Blake-Knox and Michael Singleton. Self-funded from the outset, the team’s bet that the world of fermentation deserved its own dedicated celebration was born out by a sold-out first edition.

Chef Demos and Fermentation Masterclasses

As headline sponsor, Vadasz was at the heart of the weekend throughout. Founder Nick Vadasz (AKA The Pickle man) hosted a few hands-on sessions in the Workshop Tent, with Vadasz’s own pickles and ferments featured across the site and woven through the festival’s brand collaborations.

Visitors came for two different reasons in roughly equal measure: dedicated pickle-and-ferment devotees there for the techniques and flavours, and others drawn by the chance to meet the chefs appearing across the Demo Stage and Workshop Tent in person.

The Demo Stage, hosted by Ayala Daly, ran a packed programme of chefs including Gizzi Erskine, Kenji Morimoto, James Pack, Leyli Homayoonfar, Jay Morjaria, Chops (Chris Taylor) and Marta Sandini of Lardo, alongside MasterChef UK finalist Kristen Dodd — dubbed “the pickle queen” by Grace Dent on the show for her knack of turning ingredients most people would throw away into pickles, ferments, sauces and soups.

In the Workshop Tent, visitors got hands-on with fermentation and pickling techniques, including sessions from Nick Vadasz alongside chefs including Ayala Daly, Dave Wright, Martyn Odell and Georgia Leppard.

Food Traders and High-Energy Collaborations

Food on site came from an independent line-up of restaurants and traders, including Lardo, headed by chef Marta Sandini, and Masa Tacos, several of whom sold through their stock faster than expected across the weekend.

Saturday night saw the festival turn up the energy with a special after-party featuring DJs and drag queens, while brand collaborations led by headline sponsor Vadasz, alongside Syll, Bloody Drinks and Still Tea, delivered exclusive dishes, drinks and experiences unique to the festival.

With its mix of food culture, education, entertainment and community, The Big Brine’s debut weekend marks it out as a strong early contender for the UK’s ultimate gathering for pickle and fermentation lovers, curious foodies and anyone who enjoys bold flavours and great vibes — with organisers already looking ahead to next year.

“We are completely overwhelmed by how this weekend has gone,” said Mitra Esmizadeh, co-owner of The Big Brine. “From our wonderful sponsors for believing in us in year one, to our independent traders and restaurants, to every pickle lover who came down — thank you. We’re going to be bigger and better next year, so keep an eye out for dates.”

“Big Brine felt like a glimpse of where food culture is heading — independent, curious, wildly creative and rooted in playful ideas of flavour and experience. There was a real electricity to the weekend: incredible producers, ambitious cooking and thousands of people seeking out something new. We came away exhausted, inspired and convinced that Big Brine is building something more special than we could ever have imagined,” said Nathan Woodhouse, Owner of Lardo.