Welcome to CULTJAR — the modern preserved food brand reimagining ancient and traditional techniques, blended with contemporary and international approaches, for today’s food lovers.

Founded by Peter Prescott at Worminster Farm in Somerset, CULTJAR combines sustainable growing practices with restaurant standard recipes and the aim to create depth of flavour and longer lasting deliciousness. Every CULTJAR is handmade by experienced chefs in a purpose built and certified organic kitchen adjacent to the vegetable and herb gardens. The aim is to select excellent quality nutrient rich ingredients in peak condition and prolong the seasons. All of our recipes are influenced by ingredients cultivated at the farm or responsibly foraged from our beautiful corner of Somerset. 

A World of Recipes, Rooted in Somerset. While CULTJAR’s fresh produce is mostly grown in the UK and specifically the West Country when possible, the inspiration behind its recipes spans the globe. Its ever-evolving range includes around 20 different ferments and 12 pickles — from a cultured Salvadoran slaw and a Thai yellow curry ferment, to a celeriac and mustard recipe inspired by a French brasserie classic and a red cabbage and beetroot kraut with garam masala, all the way to a Middle Eastern spiced cauliflower brine ferment. There are three Korean-style kimchi recipes, plus Japanese, American and Nordic-style recipes. Italy is represented with a mushroom sott’olio and we make a sweet and sour mixed vegetable giardiniera. There’s even a super-premium piccalilli created in partnership with Rob Howell from Root restaurant in Bath, Bristol and Wells. 

Since 2020, CULTJAR has collaborated with fermentation experts, nutritionists and high-profile chefs including: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Eve Kalinik and KOYA restaurant in London. We have also been featured in an episode of 'Rick Stein’s Food Stories' - BBC iPlayer Episode 7 (20 mins in).

 

 

COLLABORATIONS & BESPOKE 

Alongside our own recipes, we also collaborate with chefs, restaurants and nutritionists, amongst others, and create high-quality ferments, pickles and drinking vinegars. 

Please email hello@cultjar.co.uk to discuss any co-label project ideas or an exclusive recipe for your own business.

CULTIVATED AT WORMINSTER FARM

Over the last few years, we’ve created two extensive ‘no-dig’ gardens at the farm where we’re growing specialist vegetables, fruits and herbs – including a large number of rare cultivars. Our aim is to convert everything that we grow into something delicious and perhaps a little unusual. As the seasons change, so do our menus, although, we also have some perennial signature recipes. 

We aim to grow great quality ingredients - grown for flavour, rather than yield or uniformity - that we harvest in peak condition and immediately transfer to the kitchen, minimizing the loss of nutrients or natural sweetness. This will means that we’ll achieve zero mileage by the time these ingredients arrive in our kitchen.  No packaging will be needed, and we'll be able to avoid unnecessary wastage. 

It’s obviously not possible to grow all our ingredients at the farm, but when we do source other ingredients we always aim to use local sources when possible and always diligently check the provenance and quality.

We’ve built a specialist kitchen and fermentation room at the farm which means that our chefs can observe the vegetable and fruit growing around them and work alongside the garden team to ensure that they are harvested in peak condition.

CULTJAR combines vegetable and fruit growing with a creative kitchen, our health and the environment. 

HEALTH BENEFITS

Fermentation is found throughout human cultures. Hundreds of medical and scientific studies confirm what folklore has always known: Fermented foods help people stay healthy. Microscopic organisms - our ancestors and allies - transform food and extend its usefulness. Sandor Katz, Global authority on fermenting & author of a number of books on the subject.

When most people hear about vegetable ferments they immediately associate them with the health benefits, but this is often also accompanied by a little reluctance, perhaps associated with the unknown or even past experiences with excessive sourness. Or, holding one's metaphoric nose and trying to think about all the good things that a ferment can do for you. It's definitely the case that there are lots of profoundly healthy ferments out there but a great many of them, in our view, are perhaps too focused on what the constituent ingredients can do for your health and wellbeing. Or, perhaps it is all about what they have excluded or particular restrictions linked to dietary preferences or requirements. 

The probiotics found in fermented foods are now proven to be associated with improvements in digestion, reducing inflammation, immunity, weight loss, sleep patterns, mental health, and many other aspects of health, and are an excellent addition to everyone's diet. 

While there are many health benefits associated with the style of food that we are developing, there are also as many positive benefits for our wider food system and environment, but our ultimate aim is to focus on the taste and enjoyment of the recipes that we create, everything else is a happy coincidence! 

I’m a huge meat lover and have been fortunate to enjoy a wide range of luxurious and even exotic foods, but I do find that a more balanced diet and eating more vegetables makes me feel a lot better - in many different ways. Unlike many other fermenters, I’ve not personally experienced any health issues and do not have any dietary restrictions that have led me to this subject. That said, I am 100% confident of the benefits. Of course, everything has to be done in moderation. I now eat fermented foods everyday and can definitely feel a positive difference. Peter, CULTJAR founder

 

WORKSHOPS, MASTERCLASSES & TALKS

We want more people to enjoy preserved foods that prolong the seasons, especially creative ingredient combinations and unique ferments. Fermentation and pickling are not difficult or complex and there’s nothing secretive about our methods or recipes. Once you know the basics, it's easy to get hooked and you’ll soon find yourself creating your own kimchi or fermenting rhubarb. You can ferment or pickle almost anything, all you need is a suitable vessel / crock and time. Part of the joy of fermenting is experimenting and observing how different ‘live’ ingredients evolve and the flavours fluctuate. Learning to ferment also helps reduce food waste and can massively boost our health and wellbeing.

We regularly host workshops, masterclasses, demos, day courses and short talks. In partnership with @worminsterfarm we can welcome guests to the farm and host events in our own kitchens and entertaining space. Or we are happy to travel to venues across the UK. These activities can be anything from a short, tutored tasting to a full-day event.

We do not offer ticketed events at the farm, instead, we offer bespoke private sessions.

Please email hello@cultjar.co.uk for further details.

 

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

We are proud to partner with and support the important work undertaken by these brilliant organizations;

 

 

 

Slow Food

OUR NAME

It probably doesn’t need explaining but so that you are aware, the CULT in the name refers to lots of different things like cultivate/d, cultivars, horticulture, agriculture, culture/d (the biological not the social reference) and certainly not an extremist group but perhaps a little bit of a link to people who like the style of foods that we are developing. It’s also interesting to listen to the way different people pronounce the word!