New food ideas fermenting

AUSTRALIA’S first Fermentation Hub is taking shape at Legana and farm produce is set to be value added and showcased in ways it has never been before.

Tas Country was offered a sneak peek ahead of the official opening during the agriCULTURED Festival on August 2, with the impressive $14 million innovation incubator on the outskirts of Launceston, in Legana’s new Innova Business Park, shaping up to receive all manner of fermentable foods from a wide variety of producers. 

There will be distilling, pasteurising, crushing and repurposing going on in every corner of the 1800 square metres of space dedicated to dairy, baking, grains and brewing, food production, teaching, retail and research and product development laboratories.

The facility has been developed as a foundation to nurture the research and development of ideas that inspire new businesses.

An example of products expected to be made in the Hub, also known as Fermenthq, are cheeses, cured meats, smoked olives, probiotic eggs, cherry jam, kimchi, pet food, cider, wine and spirits.

One organic blueberry producer struggling to sell his frozen, excess blueberries into the US market due to the Trump tariffs is aiming to develop some new value-added products that will allow him to sell at the farmers’ markets all year round.

Cherry growers are looking forward to making some fermented cherry products such as kirsch or cherry agrodolche.

Driving the project is FermenTas, a not-for-profit run by a board of respected industry directors, led by chair Kim Seagram.

Funded and supported by local, State and Commonwealth Government, Ms Seagram said Fermenthq has the potential to bring generations of learning, businesses and investment to Tasmania.

“It will drive the creation of jobs around value-add fermented food and beverage products and offer a platform to build on Tasmania’s powerhouse reputation as a place of food and beverage excellence,’’ she said.

“The space will offer budding business owners specific fermentation equipment and spaces, and product development support services including lecture theatres and a communal commercial teaching kitchen.

“Already we have 99 expressions of interest, and 30 producers confirmed to be the first fermenthq makers. “The project’s potential to create sustainable jobs and legacy businesses is boundless and an exciting prospect for the region.”

Managing the hub will be Matt Ryan, a North-West hobby farmer who has long worked in dairy manufacturing and more recently at Hellyer’s Road Distillery.

He said he’s excited about being a conduit for small start-ups wanting to scale up and ideally come out with a successful endeavour.

“We’ve got a lot of interest in cheese making, icecream and other cultured dairy products – we’ve even got an international client looking at relocating to Australia and fermenting eggs,” he said.

“I think what you’ll find is those who come into the Hub will want to source their ingredients locally and that will strengthen our circular economy."