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Rachel De Thample Stood in the River Cottage K&S
River Cottage "Kitchen Garden" sign directing into the garden.
Woman picking greenery from the River Cottage gardens.
A plate of colourful fermented vegetables.
Rachel De Thample Stood in the River Cottage K&S
River Cottage "Kitchen Garden" sign directing into the garden.
Woman picking greenery from the River Cottage gardens.
A plate of colourful fermented vegetables.
Only 3 dates left

Gut Health: Rewild Your Microbiome

£195.00

Book this course
21 Jun
£195
06 Jul
£195
24 Aug
£195
Full
18 May
£195
1 day
Adult
Close
10:00 - 17:00

Join Rachel de Thample for a Deep Dive into Gut Health and Fermentation

This course will show you how to naturally support your gut health by incorporating fermented foods into everyday meals. You’ll learn how to combine ingredients for better nutrient absorption and explore the powerful role of wild foods in digestion.

Much like rewilding a landscape, you can apply the same approach to your gut, creating a thriving internal ecosystem. Rachel, author of the award-winning River Cottage Fermentation Handbook, Winter Wellness, and Teas and Tonic, will guide you through the benefits of a diverse, plant-rich diet, especially fermented foods, to restore balance to your microbiome.

By the end of the day, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to transform your diet, naturally increasing good bacteria and supporting overall well-being. Discover how fermented foods not only improve gut health but also enhance energy, boost flavour, and make every meal more vibrant.

Is this course suitable for me?  We recommend this course for participants aged 12 and up. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all our guests. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

You will meet your host and settle in with an energising welcome snack prepared by our team of chefs.

SESSION ONE

You’ll start the day with a tour around the farm to gather seasonal ingredients and forage for wild foods while learning the benefits of gathering a diverse range of ingredients. You’ll also learn about the healing power of herbs and how to use them to support gut health.

SESSION TWO

You’ll also learn how to construct creative and nutritionally enriched salad dressings, which you’ll use to make a salad with fermented pickles, sprouts and microgreens. You’ll also learn about food combining, pick up some clever knife skills, and other tips and tricks to maximise digestion and nutrient intake.

LUNCH

Lunch will feature a colour array of delicious flavours made with River Cottage Garden veg and local ingredients like ferments, pickles, pulses, nourishing grains, and a micro green herb oil. Alongside lunch will be a nutritious salad with a probiotic dressing and prebiotic ingredients, and to finish the meal off you’ll make an herbal tea and some tahini fudge with dried lemons.

SESSION THREE

After lunch, you’ll learn all about sprouting and easy-to-grow micro greens and how they boost flavour, texture and nutritional benefits of your meals. You’ll taste an exciting palate of delicious flavours and take home a sprouting and micro green project to start at home.

SESSION FOUR

You’ll make a seasonal ferment such as sauerkraut, kimchi or lacto-fermented pickles using herbs and produce from the garden which you can take home. During the session you’ll learn more about how to use fermented foods to boost gut health as well as flavour in dishes.

SESSION FIVE

You’ll make a sweet treat without refined sugar which we’ll enjoy with homemade teas and tonics. You’ll be able to take some of your sweet offering home to share with loved ones (or keep you going through the week).

DEPARTURE

There will be time to chat to your fellow cookery course scholars and the River Cottage team before heading back up the hill for 5pm. You’ll take home a jar of fermented veg, a nourishing sweet treat, seeds to sprout at home and a recipe pack laden with wisdom and recipes from the day.

ABOUT THE TUTOR

An award-winning author who has worked in food, health & sustainability for more than 20 years. She teaches nutrition, fermentation & wild food courses and was Course Director of the College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Natural Chef diploma course. She’s worked as Head of Food for Abel & Cole and was Commissioning Editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated. She’s studied sustainable food systems at University College London and was instrumental in setting up the Crystal Palace Food Market.

Highlights

  • Learn Rachel de Thample’s creative techniques for adding fermented foods to everyday meals
  • Understanding probiotics and prebiotics—how they work and how to use them for a thriving gut
  • The powerful role of wild foods in gut health and overall well-being
  • Why eating greens is essential for health and how to boost their nutrient absorption
  • Simple techniques to make pulses and grains easier to digest
  • How to sprout, grow microgreens, and ferment at home—and why these practices are so beneficial
  • Delicious, gut-friendly recipes to ease inflammation and create nourishing treats
Classic CookeryGut Health & FermentationRiver Cottage Courses
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