Rachel de Thample

Next Level Fermentation

£135.00
£135.00
Tax included.
Level:



River Cottage fermenting expert Rachel de Thample takes your fermentation skills to the next level — perfect if you've already mastered kimchi and kraut or completed her introductory Fermenting for Taste and Health course.

You'll learn how to transform pulses into homemade miso, honey into mead, apple scraps into cider vinegar, and cream into cultured butter. Rachel also guides you through making yogurt without specialist kit and creating easy-to-digest vegan-friendly cheese.

Beyond the recipes, you'll deepen your understanding of the science of fermentation and its health benefits.

The course includes 4 on-demand video lessons, lifetime access, downloadable notes, practical assignments, and a small interactive online classroom. Approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA).

River Cottage's fermenting expert teaches you how to ferment food and drinks at home to create delicious fermented flavours.

If you’ve already mastered kimchi and kraut or have completed her Fermenting for Taste and Health and are hungry for more fabulous ferments, Rachel de Thample’s Next Level Fermentation Course is the ideal way to up your repertoire.

On this more advanced course, you’ll learn how to transform pulses into homemade miso, local honey into mead (an ancient style of honey wine), apple scraps into apple cider vinegar, cream into cultured butter.

You’ll also learn how to start making your own yogurt with no fancy kit and create easy-to-digest vegan-friendly cheese.

This extensive course will give you the confidence and skill to fill your kitchen with tastebud-tingling ferments but beyond the making, you’ll also learn more about how the science of fermentation as well as the health benefits.

You'll learn:

  • how to ferment food including grains, pulses, nuts, dairy, fruit and honey
  • recipes for dosas, egg-free omelette, ginger beer, mead, fermented cheese, homemade yoghurt and apple cider vinegar
  • creating your own fermented recipes
  • how fermented foods can help your digestive system

The course includes:

  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Rachel de Thample and River Cottage
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical fermenting assignments and recipes (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Independent Cookery Schools Association approved

This course has been approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA), recognising the highest standards of training.

Time to complete the fermentation course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 14 hours 5 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 5 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your gut health recipe assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

You'll need:

Your lesson notes will include the full details of the ingredients you'll need, but you will be making fermented food and drinks, so you'll need standard kitchen equipment.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Rachel on your fermenting assignments.
If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

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Lessons

What You’ll Learn

Explore the lessons and topics covered across the course.

Pulses and grains can tax your digestive system but the simple art of fermenting them helps transforms them, not only making them easier to digest, but also, more delicious. We’ll make dosas with English grains, a Spanish-style omelette with fermented yellow split peas (the perfect vegan egg substitute) and homemade miso with locally-grown pulses.
Learn how to whiz nuts into delicious, easy-to-digest nut cheeses, batches of kombucha-cultured creme fraiche (which you can churn into butter) and an incredibly easy homemade yogurt using a thermos.
Turn your apple scraps into a stunning homemade apple cider vinegar (learning about acetic acid). Learn how to ferment fruit with honey by making a honey-fermented hedgerow jams, learn how to ferment fruit with salt by making umboshi damons and preserved lemons and more.
Rachel will show you how to transform local honey and hedgerow fruit into a stunning ancient wine called black mead. You’ll also learn how to make your own ginger beer starter and then give your brew a seasonal spin, such as rhubarb & rose ginger beer.
Learning options

Choose How You Want to Learn

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Expert
£135.00

A guided learning experience with expert support, feedback and recognised outcomes.

  • Expert Assignment Feedback
  • Private Tutor Messaging
  • Certificate & CPD Hours
  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
Peer
£45.00

Learn alongside others with a collaborative, flexible learning experience.

  • On-demand Lessons Videos & Notes
  • Collaborative Classroom Chat
  • Message Classmates Directly
  • Small Classroom Size
  • Lifetime Access
COURSE TUTOR

Rachel de Thample

Portrait of Rachel de Thample

Rachel de Thample has worked in the kitchens of Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and Peter Gordon.

She is the author of Less Meat, More Veg, FIVE and Teas & Tonics. She and has served as Commissioning Editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated, Head of Food for the pioneering organic box scheme Abel & Cole and as the Course Director of the College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Natural Chef diploma course. She has helped set up numerous local food initiatives, including the award-winning Crystal Palace Food Market.

Rachel teaches the River Cottage preserves and fermentation courses. Her latest book is the best-selling River Cottage Fermentation Handbook.

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SUCCESS

What Our Learners Achieve

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Completion rates

Our courses consistently achieve 80% learner completion rates versus a 20% industry average
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CPD Learning Hours

Earn recognised CPD hours through expert-led courses designed to support your ongoing professional development.
Benefits

Why Choose Us

The advantages of Learning with Experts and a supportive community.

Learn on Demand

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.

Practice what you learn

Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.

Talk directly to experts

Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!

Track Progress & Achievements

Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.

Be part of a community

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Reviews

What Learners Say

Genuine feedback and experiences from learners.
5.00

“It is extremely beneficial to have feedback on your own understanding of the topics and to have input on the detail required in an answer. Learning with Experts has been a really good experience.”

Bronwyn
5.00

“Outstanding content - I have gone back into the course videos many times and had many hours worth of incredible insight even before doing the assignments, which have forced me to really think about the experts' guidance.”

David
5.00

“The course has given me lots of tips and ideas. It was helpful being able to speak to others in the class about assignments and the feedback from the expert was very inspiring and has given me the confidence to try new things in my own garden.”

Helen
5.00

“I would not hesitate to recommend Learning with Experts for the RHS Level 2 Certificate. They provided thorough, comprehensive study materials alongside each individual video lesson presented by highly regarded experts in the field of horticulture, who are also engaging communicators."

Amanda
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Common Questions

Answers to the most common questions about learning with us.

Our online classroom is designed to help you learn from experts in a collaborative, social environment alongside a small group of learners.

Each lesson combines expert-led videos with optional assignments, giving you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned and share your work with others. You can take part in ongoing discussions, ask questions, exchange feedback, and learn from a community of like-minded people from around the world.

By learning together in a small, supportive group, you benefit not only from expert guidance but also from shared ideas, perspectives, and experiences—helping you stay engaged and retain what you learn.

You can start your course at any time within 12 months of purchase. Once you begin, you’ll have lifetime access, so you can revisit lesson videos and notes whenever you like.

Courses are designed to fit around your schedule, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Each lesson video is typically 30–40 minutes, and we recommend around an hour for each assignment.

Both Peer and Expert options give you full access to the course content, including lesson videos, downloadable notes, assignments, and a collaborative online classroom with up to 20 learners. You’ll also have lifetime access to revisit the material at any time.

The Expert option includes everything in Peer, plus personalised assignment feedback, direct messaging with your expert tutor, and a certificate of completion.

With the Expert option, you can interact directly with your tutor throughout the course. You’ll typically have one week per lesson to ask questions and receive feedback on your assignments, with as much interaction as you need during that time.

Your tutor access begins when you enter the classroom and follows the course schedule (for example, a four-lesson course usually runs over four weeks). If you need more time or support, our team is here to help.