Meet Janice Clyne

World Ferment Day Ambassador for Scotland

Hi, everyone. I am very excited to be one of the ambassadors for World Ferment Day 2027. My name is Janice Clyne of Nourished by Nature, and I live in Glasgow in Scotland.

What led you to fermentation and when did your journey begin?

Now, my first introduction to the magical world of fermentation was in 2011, when I was studying macrobiotics.

Now macrobiotics introduced me to a lot of foods I hadn't heard of before, miso and tempeh, kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough, all of these foods that we're now all now quite familiar with. But the first thing that caught my attention wasn't so much the actual foods, it was the health benefits that eating these foods and drinks bestowed on the people that ate them as part of their traditional diet and culture.

So that was what intrigued me first, it was all the health benefits, comparing, you know, people in, like, Korea with people in Scotland, for example. You know, and there's a fraction of the chronic disease that we have and a lot of that is linked to diet and lifestyle. But then what actually drew me in was the flavour of fermented foods, which is just like nothing that you will ever experience from any other foods at all.

What motivates you to continue fermenting?

I am someone who loves food. I don't eat food that I don't enjoy. But I have to say, my first experience of eating something fermented was kimchi. Now, I think everyone knows that kimchi is incredibly spicy, which perhaps wasn't the best choice for me, because I'm a bit of a chilli wimp. And even though it has incredible benefits, it's got really complex flavours, it's just a bit too spicy for me.

But from that, you can make your own, and then you can tone down the level of spice. So that was another reaso, for me to start making my own, because then I could adapt them. I have a fridge full of fermented veggies in all the colours of the rainbow. I'm a member of the Foraging Association, so I incorporate a lot of wild food into my ferments.

I make milk kefir, I make water kefir, I make kombucha, sourdough. I use ferments on my skin. I use them in my hair. I wear ferments. I've got my Fuelled by Ferments T-shirt on. So I have to say, I am totally obsessed by the incredible world of fermented food and drinks. And the reason for that is that these food and drinks can literally just transform our health on every single level, and these little microbes transform foods and drinks into super foods.

And when we start to eat those foods and drink these drinks, it does exactly the same to us. It causes a transformation, and as far as I'm concerned, it makes us a better version of ourself, because we're reestablishing a better balance in our gut. Our cravings and our gut intuition comes from the gut, so if we have a better balanced gut, we're making better choices for ourself.

And really, it's an absolute no-brainer, because fermented foods are absolutely delicious. They tick all the boxes for health. They don't cost very much to make. You can make endless varieties.

What was your first fermentation experience?

What is an easy way to introduce ferments to someone who has never tried them?

So if you haven't tried anything fermented, then what you have to think about is what are the foods you enjoy? What are the drinks you enjoy? If you enjoy fizzy drinks, try kombucha or water kefir. If you enjoy dairy-type products, then try milk kefir. If you like spicy food, then try kimchi. And if you're not that bothered, then just go for fermented vegetables because there are endless varieties that you can try, until you find your favourite one.

How does fermentation fit into your life?

How does fermentation fit into my life? Well, as I said, I'm really quite obsessed by it, so I spend pretty much every day thinking about what can I ferment next, or what I'm gonna eat. But as I said, I have a fridge full of ferments in all the colours of the rainbow. I make sourdough regularly, and yeah, it's just become part of my life.

I just couldn't imagine my life without it, to be perfectly honest.

Which ferment or ferments did you eat/drink most recently?

So ferments that I had recently for breakfast, for example, I had rye sourdough toast with kefir cheese mixed with fermented garlic, and then served it with a side of my lemon and dill sauerkraut, which I really enjoy.

And I had a lovely glass of pineapple sage kombucha. I grow pineapple sage in the garden, make kombucha, and I just use seasonal, whatever I happen to have. So I cannot recommend highly enough. If you haven't tried anything fermented, then you absolutely must. It is just one of the best things that you can do for your health.

You will save yourself an absolute fortune. You will discover loads of incredibly delicious foods, and everyone will want to be your friend, because when you start making ferments, everyone wants you to make them for them. So that is my hope. And it's been one of the biggest joys in my life, has been sharing the ferment love. So please try and make something fermented if you haven't already!