jadew14•1mo agoOG Member

Our regulars keep asking for fermented items, and I'm scrambling to keep up

Suddenly, half my menu feels outdated because everyone wants kimchi, pickles, and kombucha. I tried adding a few house-made ferments, but the timing and space are tricky in our cramped kitchen. Has anyone else seen this trend explode in their area? How are you fitting fermentation into a busy service without it taking over? I'd love to hear what's working for other places.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jordan1mo ago

Tbh, what if you flipped the script and used ferments as flavor bombs instead of just sides? We started making a fermented garlic honey that takes weeks but then we use it in glazes, dressings, even cocktails. Same with a quick kraut that gets blended into a house hot sauce. It cuts down on prep time during service cause the hard work is done ahead. Lets you ride the trend without your kitchen becoming a lab.

the_lucas1mo ago

Your kitchen just became a mad science project.

sean7821mo ago

See, the flavor bomb idea sounds clever, but it STILL turns your kitchen into a lab. Those ferments need weeks of space and careful timing, which doesn't fix the cramped kitchen problem. If demand is exploding, you're just adding more steps ahead of time. I've seen places try this and they end up with shelves of jars everywhere. Sometimes you have to accept that not every trend fits your operation. Pushing ferments into everything can muddy your menu's focus.