Australian-born Sharon Flynn was living in Tokyo, teaching English
at a university, more than two decades ago when she first learned
about fermenting. An elderly Japanese neighbour and her family
introduced Sharon to the joys of miso, tofu and eventually
fermented vegetables. Many city moves later - she married a
financier who moved with work regularly – Sharon found herself
in Seattle. That's where she really caught the fermenting bug. She
belonged to a Community Supported Agricultural Scheme and received
so many little cucumbers that she recalls she had to learn to
pickle! She moved on to cheese, yoghurt and bread – and was truly
hooked after meeting the man regarded as the master of fermentation
in the US, Sandor Katz.
In the background here, her third daughter became quite ill. By
this time the family had moved to Brussels and she found that
antibiotics had left her daughter's system devoid of essential
bacteria. Sharon says she read up more and more on fermenting –
every culture has a version of some sort – and her daughter
eventually regained her zest and good health.
Fast forward a few years and Sharon found herself in Melbourne,
this time sans her husband, with her three daughters. She learnt to
make kefir, made her own ferments and started sharing these with
friends. She tried to teach her friends, but quickly discovered
that what they really wanted was for her to make it for them! So
began her little business, The Fermentary. Her products quickly won
a following, alongside acclaim in the restaurant world. Now, with
new partner chef Roger Fowler, her business is not so little; they
sell both wholesale to leading Sydney and
Melbourne restaurants and retailers, as well as direct to
their customers at farmers' markets. As well, Sharon conducts
regular workshops in Victoria and beyond.
Sharon was also fortunate enough to spend a fortnight in late
2015 undertaking an intensive, advanced fermenting workshop with
Sandor Katz (described by The New York Times as one of the unlikely
rock stars of the American food scene) at his home in Cannon
County, Tennessee.
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