I source as many ingredients as possible from an organic and biodynamic farm two and a half miles away from Vigouroots kitchen. These Ingredients are made into Vigouroots products the day after they are harvested! Sometimes even on the same day. The rest are sourced from local greengrocers half a mile away where I opt for organic if available. The end products are made of around 80% organic ingredients.

Both of these wholesalers are run by lovely souls who surround their work with great energy which I think is really important as with everything, food carries an energy.

So Vigouroots end products have an incredibly low carbon footprint, are mostly organic and incredibly fresh. 

Kimchi is a tasty companion to almost any savoury meal or snack, nutritious and flavour-boosting.

Kimchi is bold! Deeper in flavour and intensity than the sauerkraut, with a spicy punch.

What can kimchi be eaten with?

Here are a few suggestions of what to eat your fermented veggies with to get you started;

Breakfast meals:

• On toast : Topped over melted cheese (yum), excellent with eggs, even with peanut butter!
• With a fry up; meat, veggie or vegan.
• With a savoury oatmeal or congee (Chinese soupy rice)
• An excellent companion to fish

Lunch/Dinner Meals:

• In burgers and wraps
• On or as a condiment with pizza
• With fish
• Mixed in with cooked roasted vegetables and a grain, such as quinoa or rice
• Mixed in or as a condiment with salads and Ramen.
• As a condiment with any Mexican, Chinese and Indian style meals
• Mixed in with a pasta sauce or as a condiment to a pasta dish with garlic bread
• With crackers
• Experiment with any meal! Sometimes it tastes better mixed in with a meal to disperse the flavour and sometimes its better on the side to add to the fork bit by bit.

To gain the nutritious benefits that the live cultures offer, eat Sauerkraut and Kimchi raw mostly. But you can also experiment by cooking with it. Some examples of dishes that cook with fermented vegetables are:

• Polish bigos: meat marinated and cooked in sauerkraut
• Kimchi jjigae: a stew with cooked kimchi
• Sauerkraut pierogi: Polish dumplings.

Sauerkraut is a tasty companion to almost any savoury meal. Nutritious and flavour-boosting.

Vigouroots Sauerkraut is not hot but has a generous amount of flavoursome fresh roots and seeds.

What can you eat Sauerkraut with?

I have made a few suggestions of what to eat your fermented veggies with to get you started; 

Breakfast meals:

• On toast : Topped over melted cheese (yum), excellent with eggs, with peanut butter!
• With a fry up; meat, veggie or vegan.
• With a savoury oatmeal or congee (Chinese soupy rice)
• An excellent companion to fish

Lunch/Dinner Meals:

• In burgers and wraps
• On or as a condiment with pizza
• With fish
• Mixed in with cooked roasted vegetables and a grain, such as quinoa or rice
• Mixed in or as a condiment with salads and Ramen.
• As a condiment with any Mexican, Chinese and Indian style meals
• Mixed in with a pasta sauce or as a condiment to a pasta dish with garlic bread
• With crackers
• Experiment with any meal! Sometimes it tastes better mixed in with a meal to disperse the flavour and sometimes its better on the side to add to the fork bit by bit.

To gain the nutritious sauerkraut benefits that the live cultures offer, eat raw Sauerkraut mostly. But you can also experiment by cooking with it.

Some examples of dishes that cook with fermented vegetables are:

• Polish bigos: meat marinated and cooked in sauerkraut
• Kimchi jjigae: a stew with cooked kimchi
• Sauerkraut pierogi: Polish dumplings.

Vigouroots Ferments are raw and very much alive. The gut-friendly bacteria will continue to ferment, creating the goodness that they do in the jar, but very slowly when kept at fridge temperature.

In transit, especially in warmer temperatures, fermentation will speed up. Carbon Dioxide and extra liquids are created during fermentation which expands the already full contents of the jars.

Because of this, leakage may occur, during transit and upon receipt. This does not compromise the product and is normal. In such case, please open carefully, clean the jar and refrigerate.  Fermented products will perish faster when not kept below 8 degrees Celsius.

I take great care in creating fresh, raw and tasty fermented products and to package and deliver them as safely and fast as possible. Please ensure you give me the correct mailing information and are able to accept delivery.

If there will be nobody home to accept the delivery please advise the courier to leave somewhere safely, ie with a neighbour or somewhere hidden in the shade. The parcel should not be left in the sun. If it has got warm, please refrigerate in the packaging for at least 12 hours, then open it over the sink to clean up if it has leaked.

The quality of the Kraut & Kimchi depend largely on the environment it is kept in. Keep it in a clean fridge and use clean utensils to take it from the jar to avoid contamination.

Thank you and enjoy!

Fermentation is a method of food preservation that has been found to date back to ancient history. Creating an environment without oxygen allows the friendly bacteria in the food to thrive. This is called Lactic acid fermentation.

During fermentation, friendly bacteria and yeasts in the food produce bio –preservatives such as lactic acid, alcohol and acetic acid that retain nutrients while preventing the growth of pathogenic organisms and spoilage.

I am a big fan of Sandor Katz, Author of ‘Wild Fermentation’ and ‘The Art of Fermentation’. He sums up this question beautifully, stating ‘Bacteria in fermented foods are probiotic – they interact with our microbiome in ways we are just starting to recognise. These interactions can improve digestion, immune function, mental health and many other aspects of our health and wellbeing’. 

Some other info worth noting includes that fermentation improves the bioavailability of minerals present in food (as stated by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation who promote Fermented foods as a critical source of nutrients). Fermentation has also been found to break down nutrients into more accessible forms and can break down certain toxic compounds in to benign forms.

Nutrients can also be created during the process of fermentation, such as B-vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids as well as anti-carcinogenic substances.

The quality of fermented foods depend largely on the environment they are created.  Vigouroots space is clean, uses natural cleaning products and processes wherever possible and safe (complete with well cared for, air-cleaning plants) and always has a positive, high vibrational energy which the happy bacteria can thrive and do what they do best!

My motto is always ‘Tune in and listen to your body’. Many people love the flavour of the ferments and eat it with every meal, even straight out of the jar! Go for it if that feels good to you. Diversity of bacteria is key to optimal health, so eat as many different types of fermented goodies as you can, different batches will also have different bacteria present due to seasonal changes of the environment it is made in.

If you are a newbie to fermented foods I would recommend starting off with a little at a time to allow your body to get used to the new little helpers being introduced to the gut. Excess gas and bloating may occur if your body is not used to fermented foods, but this is usually temporary and should lessen as your gut finds a new equilibrium from the effects of its new found friends.

Fermented foods could potentially have a negative effect on some health conditions. I would recommend speaking to your doctor if you have any concerns about how you may react to new foods.

If you are a newbie to fermented foods I would recommend starting off with a little at a time to allow your body to get used to the new little helpers being introduced to the gut. Excess gas and bloating may occur if your body is not used to fermented foods, but this is usually temporary and should lessen as your microbiome finds a new equilibrium.

Kept in clean and chilled conditions, Sauerkraut and Kimchi should last for months. As a safe guideline, store up to 5 months in the fridge and use within 2-3 weeks of opening.

Master Tonic is an age-old recipe, thought to date back to medieval European times. It is raw apple cider vinegar, with the Mother (the original culture used to ferment the apples into vinegar) Infused with medicinal herbs known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-viral & anti-fungal properties.

Vigouroots uses generous amounts of fresh horseradish, ginger, garlic, turmeric, onion, chilli’s and black pepper which is infused in the vinegar for at least 4 weeks to create a potent tonic that has a serious depth of flavour.

Raw apple cider vinegar is commonly taken to aid in weight loss, reduce cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels which may improve the symptoms of diabetes.

Raw apple cider vinegar with the mother (the original culture used to ferment the apples to vinegar) contains proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria. The mother gives the cider vinegar a murky appearance.

The herbs added to the vinegar to create Master Tonic have been used for hundreds of years for their anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-viral & anti-fungal properties.

Master Tonic can be taken daily as a preventative to the overgrowth of lesser desired bacteria’s, fungus and parasites in the gut which can lead to illness. For this, 15ml a day taken as a shot is the preferred way. Or if you find it too strong it can be diluted with hot or cold water and taken as a larger shot or small drink.

It can also be taken when you feel poorly to help speed up recovery. I would recommend taking 15ml 2 or 3 times a day for this purpose. Taken neat or diluted with hot or cold water.

Master Tonic is not fussy about where it is stored. It has a very long shelf life and is not too sensitive to hot or cold environments.

However, to err on the side of caution, please store in dry, cool conditions and use within a year of opening.

Jun Tea is  fermented Green Tea and honey drink. It is similar to kombucha, which is traditionally made with black tea and sugar. Jun tea has been named by some ‘the champagne of kombucha’ due to its class of higher-grade, healthier ingredients and arguably, tastier outcome! Vigouroots uses only the best ingredients. The honey is sourced locally from hives on dartmoor which are kept as ethically and cleanly as possible.

Please keep your Jun tea in the fridge. Flavoured Jun, in particular, may be very fizzy so open slowly and over a bowl or jug just in case! Live foods can be very lively! Drink within 2 weeks. It will be fine for longer than that but it will get more sour as it continues to ferment.