Bwblin away – a chat with Anna, our favourite fermenter
In the heart of Anglesey, where the sea breeze meets lush woodlands, a quiet fermentation revolution is bubbling away. We sat down with Anna, the passionate founder of Bwblin, whose handcrafted ferments are not only delicious but deeply rooted in sustainability, seasonal eating, and local pride. From humble beginnings in her own kitchen to becoming a familiar face at farmers’ markets, Anna’s journey is a testament to the power of curiosity, community, and gut-friendly goodness.
It’s great to have the chance to chat with you today, Anna, how did you start Bwblin and how did it come about?
I’ve always been interested in health and well-being, and I’ve been brought up in a culture where my family and the people around me like to grow food and take care of their garden. I started by fermenting foods for my own personal consumption. I liked the way it changed the food, the way it tasted and how good it was for you.
I thought, this stuff is great, and I can’t seem to find it around where I live. I then had loads of it. I had made so much that I brought some to a friend in a pub one night. I don’t drink, but we were at a pub quiz, and he said: ‘’you should sell these!’’
From there, around a year ago now, I thought I’ll sell these at a Farmer’s market. I did not have a clue about the food business or how challenging it would be to get here, but I’m here now and I’ve learned so much on this journey.
It’s a lot bigger than I ever imagined, a lot more people want to eat fermented food than I ever thought. It’s gone from doing the odd farmer’s market to what it is now, which is fun and exciting.
Anna with Bwblin at a farmers’ market
Where did your passion for food and fermentation come from?
A lot of it came from my family being foodies and growing a lot of our own veg in an allotment my dad’s had for about 15/20 years. Being a part of that and preserving the food that would otherwise go to waste was key for me. You get a glut of certain fruits and vegetables, so when I’m bit bored of jam or chutney, I ferment them, and they preserve for a long time. It’s such an ancient form of preservation that people have kind of forgotten about but I’m hopefully going to bring it back to life.
The key really is to make it tasty, make it accessible, and to keep it sustainable. Fermented food is everywhere now, it’s great that it’s having a moment in the limelight.
What about the fermentation process itself?
I didn’t know much about fermentation when I started doing things in my own kitchen. I learned as I went on. I read a lot of books. I tried things that have turned out amazing that I’d never be able to repeat again because I never wrote the recipe down and….and I’ve created a few things that came out a bit strange!
I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning; fermentation can be a bit tricky. It’s a live product and sometimes it goes wrong. For example, if you don’t put enough salt in, or you didn’t wash your vegetables properly. At the beginning I had no idea how to prevent it going off. I’ve learnt so much since then, but I can see why some people may be scared to make it and eat it themselves because it could be a risk, but it’s perfectly safe when it’s done right. It’s safer than other food because of the beneficial bacteria that kills all the pathogens that are living in it.
Anna from Bwblin fermenting
Have you always lived on Anglesey?
I grew up in the Llandudno area, and I said to myself at a young age, I want to live on Anglesey. I just love Anglesey, I can’t believe I’m living in such an area of beauty, it’s just stunning here.
I’m so glad my business is here. I want to always manufacture, package and fulfil my orders from Anglesey. I’m not interested in outsourcing to a different area. I would love to boost the economy in this area; it is super important to me. If I grow big enough and can provide jobs for people on Anglesey, that would be amazing.
What a passion you have for your home and the area around you, do you have a lovely view?
Oh yeah, I always have a lovely view. I’ve got a beautiful dog who needs walking twice a day, so I’m constantly at the beach. I’m always in Penrose Wood woodland area; it is a beautiful space that needs to be saved. Newborough Beach too is beautiful. There are amazing places all around the island. If you catch the right day out of season and it’s quiet, it’s just stunning, I’m always out in nature if I can.
Anna with a selection of Bwblin ferments
That is so lovely. And do you ever forage your ingredients?
For personal consumption, yes. For the business, I want to find an organic producer in the area. Organic is important for fermentation, not just for the soil and the environment but because the pesticides will kill any bacteria, good or bad. So, if you then ferment with that product, which is covered in pesticides, the friendly bacteria won’t grow, so you won’t have a live product. You then must add a starter culture like you would with a yogurt.
If you want to ferment a fruit or vegetable from itself and not add any other artificial starter, it’s important that you have the bacteria growing on it to get it going.
I’m not currently aware of any organic producers on Anglesey, although I’ve been having conversations with people who are interested in becoming organic certified. I want to work with people in the local area if I can. All my produce currently comes from Britain, mostly from Wales but some is from England and Scotland too.
Do you have any tips for using your products? We know sometimes people will buy fermented goods but not really know what to do with them.
I eat them on anything, but I’m an unusual person. I think to start off with, it’s good that you’re getting any fermented food in a day, regardless of what it is and what you pair it with. I would recommend adding a teaspoon to the side of your dish to get used to the flavour because it’s like coffee or olives, it takes time to register with your palette.
Rich ferments like kimchi are nice on top of a burger or hot dog. I put my ferments on the side of my meal if I’m eating chicken and rice for example, it will make that whole dish so flavourful and tasty. Some are nice as part of a charcuterie board, paired with cheese and crackers.
Bwblin sauerkraut on toast
You are making us hungry; do you have any great recipes that incorporate your ferments?
I made a dish once from a Waitrose recipe that was gorgeous, it was a pork and kimchi stew, it’s unusual and delicious.
What is good about the fermentation process, even though it’s live, it breaks down the food in a sense, so it’s easy to digest. If you’re not used to eating cabbage and ingredients high in fibre the fermentation breaks that down for you, making it easier to go through your body and release all the good vitamins and minerals that are in it.
What would be your perfect kitchen to create in?
I’ll absolutely ferment anywhere. I’ve fermented on the beach and in the woodlands. I ferment food currently in my commercial unit, which must be sanitary for the business, but if I could be anywhere, I’d be outside on a little wooden board, listening to all the nature around me.
All you need is a jar and a scale, so you get the right proportion of salt, and you’re away to go in a bowl and whatever you’ve got left in your fridge.
We can just imagine you now, that sounds idyllic! What’s in abundance in autumn, what are you fermenting at the moment?
I’ve got an autumn collection that has just released. In abundance there are fruits, so beautiful pears, apples. Cabbage, carrots and yummy fennels are also in season.
Sweet potatoes are ready too, they can grow in a polytunnel in the UK, they just need to be kept at about 20-22 degrees.
This is a really nice time for the UK because there will be a lot of everything. There will still be a couple of berries lingering around and lots of kales and dark leafy greens are coming alive.
Seasonal kale, carrots and parsnips.
Have you made ferments from all of these?
Oh, absolutely. I’ve fermented anything that you can imagine, I can’t think of anything I’ve not fermented. I’ve fermented anything that you can eat raw.
I believe in protecting our British farmers and growers. There are some wonderful people trying to feed the nation. Aldi and Lidl are brilliant. They’re cheap and they encourage a lot of British produce. You’ll see a bag of carrots that will say British grown and that’s fantastic.
I like to encourage everybody to eat seasonal British food, reducing their food miles. Seasonal food is also filled with the vitamins and the minerals that you need at that time.
Eat organic where you can. I know that’s a tough one and not everybody’s able to do that. If not, wash your vegetables to reduce your pesticide exposure.
If you’ve got scraps in your fridge, I recommend giving fermentation a go and reduce your own food waste.
Those are some brilliant tips. What do you love to eat in autumn that makes you feel anchored to the local environment?
I like whatever’s produced in the area right now. I absolutely love porridge. I eat British organic oats almost every day and I will add British seeds and nuts that are grown here. Walnuts are lovely, then I’ll add whatever fruit I can find, I’m still blackberry picking and foraging, so I’ll be putting them on my porridge bowls every day.
It’s been great catching up with you Anna. How can Bolthole’s guests get their hands on your ferments?
I’m hoping to be stocked in quite a lot of Anglesey’s stores. In the next month I should be in &caws and Dylan’s stores and otherwise online. Keep an eye out for us at the local food markets too as we will most likely be there. Come and say hello as I love to meet people and speak to them.
Bwblin ferments Autumn collection
Anna’s story is a beautiful reminder that food can be both nourishing and meaningful, connecting us to the land, to tradition, and to each other. Whether you’re a seasoned ferment fan or just curious to try something new, Bwblin offers a flavourful way to support local producers and reduce food waste. Keep an eye out for Bwblin’s jars in Anglesey’s stores or stop by a market to say hello. You might just leave with a new favourite, and a little inspiration to start fermenting yourself.
