VN – 12 Jul, 2026

I love when an unplanned day turns into something special. Yesterday, Kundai and I met up at Papa’s Park in Brixton (it’s a gem!). The plan was to sample together the latest Fermenting Cultures experiment, a fermented drink made with raw Senegalese honey, ginger, lime, orange blossom, and moringa (it’s so good!).

We were lucky to catch our dear friend Valcie, who runs the park café with her partner Hurley. They make THE BEST Jamaican food – we devoured ice cold sorrel to drink, jerk chicken, vegan veg curry, plantain, rice and peas.

We spent a joyous afternoon eating, drinking, and scheming in the warm shade. The sweet sound of music and kids playing never far away.

As we were saying our goodbyes, the topic of fermentation came up (it’s never far away!). Valcie mentioned that she ferments. Despite knowing her for the best part of ten years, I was unaware. We were soon swapping ferments; us, our moringa and honey drink; Valcie, her fiery, cho-cho, carrot and red pepper pickle that she serves with fried fish. Plus, we got to see a vintage Roots Tonic from her collection. Oh, joy! We will be back.