A Welsh company is tapping into the nation’s love for pickles, offering more workshops to help reduce food waste and improve gut health
Monmouthshire-based company, The Crafty Pickle Co., has seen a 50% rise in people coming to their workshops since 2022.
The business is run by registered nutritionist Madi Myers. She has noticed an increased interest in pickling over the past few years. So the company is adding new workshops like Forage & Ferment and making miso.
“Compared to when we started our business five years ago we’ve seen a huge uptick in recognition of the foods we make, as well as interest in our workshops and products”, Myers said, just before International Pickle Day on 14 November.
Myers also believes that the growing awareness of food waste and sustainability has contributed to the popularity of their workshops. She pointed to interest in gut health and living foods as a factor. “Turnover has also increased by 16% in the last year.”
The popularity of pickling is evident on social media like TikTok, where the hashtag #pickles has over 300,000 videos. This surge in interest suggests a desire for homemade, healthy and sustainable food options.
According to Food Manufacturing, the market for fermented foods has grown in recent years.
” Yelp reports that online searches for pickle-flavoured foods have jumped significantly, up 55%.”
The Crafty Pickle Co. has reacted to this trend by offering workshops that teach their customers how to make their own fermented foods.
“We utilise as much surplus or imperfect produce for our production as possible. We’ve worked with many individuals, organisations and charities over the years to help rescue perfectly edible but surplus fruit and veg,” said Myers.
“Our backgrounds in nutrition mean we have a passion for education and helping people cut through the crap”, explained Myers, “especially when it comes to sorting through tips on gut health”.