- The new edition, the largest and most international yet, will be held from 14 to 16 March at Nau Bostik, and will feature a day exclusively for professionals (FRMNTPRO).
- The event will offer exclusive tastings of Korean soju and makkoli, Georgian kvevri wines, limited editions of koji ice cream, an original cheesecake by Joncake, and NOLO functional beer, among many other fermented products.
The countdown has already begun. In a few days, Barcelona will become the world capital of fermented beverages with the celebration of FRMNT, the Barcelona Fermentation Festival, which will take place from 14 to 16 March at Nau Bostik with its most ambitious and international edition to date.
Following last year’s edition, which marked a turning point—the opening to the public and the change of location attracted more than 1,000 visitors and led to an expansion of the range of products and activities on offer—the event is consolidating its growth at a time when the sector is booming. Fermented products are no longer an emerging trend but have become a reality in many areas, both domestic and professional. The sector is growing, driven by increasingly informed consumers who associate these products with intestinal health, a stronger immune system and general well-being. With more than 12,000 years of history, fermentation is currently experiencing a creative renaissance that combines tradition, science and culinary innovation.
It is in this context that the second edition of the FRMNT FESTIVAL, open to the public, will take place, featuring presentations, workshops, networking (at a leisurely pace), tastings, pairings and a market with the best fermentation brands.
FRMNTPRO: professionalising the fermentation movement
The big news for this year’s edition is FRMNTPRO, an exclusive conference for professionals in the gastronomy and fermentation sector, which will be held on Monday 16 March and aims to explore the technical side of things in greater depth. Aimed at restaurateurs, chefs, producers, schools and gastronomic companies, the conference will be held in the Gastrocultura Mediterránea-Töufoo room, the main venue of the festival, which will host demonstrations, top-level specialised content and presentations by leading figures such as Eneko Izkue Colio (@enekocook), chef and professor at the Basque Culinary Centre specialising in contemporary fermentation and techniques applied to gastronomic innovation; and Alessandro da Villa, from the Lasarte* restaurant, who will share how he integrates creative miso, kojified pineapple and shiokoji into marinades in haute cuisine.
José de la Rosa, from Fermented Freelance, and Marc Jordana, from Töufood, will also participate with a comparison between traditional garum, garum with koji and garum with enzymes. Maier Lago, from the Leartiker technology centre, will provide real-life examples of innovation in fermented foods and the challenges of bringing them to market, while Xavi Ramon, from Ferment Project, will present a practical guide to getting started with fermentation.
With this initiative, FRMNT reinforces its commitment to rigorous dissemination and professionalisation, debunking myths about the complexity or the need for large investments to integrate fermented foods into catering.
Unprecedented flavours and exclusive editions for the FRMNT FESTIVAL
Beyond the professional sphere, the weekend will maintain the essence of the festival: activities, tastings, pairings and a Market with 12 stands that will bring together some of the most outstanding projects on the fermentation scene.
Among the exclusive offerings at this year’s festival, Júlia Mellor, from the Korean firm The Sool Company, will bring a project from outside the country to FRMNT for the first time and will wow attendees with two little-known traditional Korean drinks: Makkoli and Soju. Her workshop will offer a comprehensive introduction to the world of ‘Sool’, the term that encompasses all Korean wines and spirits fermented and distilled from rice.
David Bea (@tarracobiersomelier) will also take your senses on a journey to the Caucasus with his presentation of kvevri wines from Georgia, considered among the oldest in the world.
Innovation will come in the form of functional beer: Brebel Beer will present a new NOLO (low alcohol) beer with 1.1% alcohol and added vitamin D, a product that combines fermentation, health and new consumer trends.
In the sweet realm, Delacrem and Ferment Project will present limited editions (which can only be tasted at FRMNT) of ice cream with koji-fermented cream and lacto-fermented berries, while at the festival’s own stand, visitors can sample a koji cheesecake created in collaboration with Joncake, in a very limited production that will only be available during the event.
Also particularly noteworthy will be Gaspar Zizinia’s participation in the POP UP Lunch, with creations such as Torshi seer — a garlic pickle that takes 12 years to develop — and vegetable Jameed, a fermented cheese that matures in the open air, examples that demonstrate time as an essential ingredient in fermentation culture.
The POP UP Lunch: a 100% fermented experience
One of the main activities will once again be the POP UP Lunch, a pairing lunch based entirely on fermented foods and drinks, designed exclusively for the festival. An immersive experience that allows you to understand fermentation not only as a technique, but as a complete gastronomic language. The menu will be prepared by all of Saturday’s speakers, each contributing a dish or drink of their own, ‘to learn from each other, to get to know each other closely and discover what each one does,’ says Xavi Ramon, one of the promoters of the event along with Henk Cortier.
Market, music and city
The event—enhanced with good music and a great atmosphere—is a pioneering and unique event in Spain dedicated exclusively to the world of fermented products. In addition to offering presentations, tastings, pairings and workshops, it will open a space for the public to discover some of the best fermented brands of the moment. The Market, covering 205 m2 with 12 stands open to the public, will be a space where visitors can discover and taste products such as craft beer, non-alcoholic fermented drinks, kombucha, natural wines, fermented ice cream, cheesecakes with koji, lacto-fermented products, tempeh and cheeses, among many other offerings.
A wide range of products will satisfy the curiosity of visitors, whether they are experts, newcomers or people who want to take their first steps in the world of fermented products, either to make them at home or simply to enjoy them as consumers.
As the festival’s promoters, Henk Cortier (Lambicus) and Xavier Ramon (Ferment Project), point out, the event aims to go beyond fashion: “It’s about creating community, sharing knowledge and providing tools to bring fermentation into restaurants, shops and homes in a meaningful way. We are the largest fermented food festival on the peninsula and our goal is to continue growing, offering ever-better content and creating an ever-growing community of enthusiasts.‘ Because, ’creating community is key: the more people support each other and share knowledge, the better it will be for everyone,” adds Henk Cortier.
In fact, the event, sponsored by Gastrocultura Mediterránea-Töufood and with the collaboration of Hofmann and Todo Glass, aims to dispel myths and offer practical and realistic tools, ‘with the aim of ensuring that in the future we can enjoy good fermented products in many more establishments,’ they add. Its creators are satisfied with this 2026 edition, because ‘this year we have achieved maximum diversity, with international projects and all kinds of fermented products.’ This is yet another sign of the growth of the festival, which seeks to pave the way for fermentation to become a living, cross-cutting and accessible culture.
FRMNT FESTIVAL in figures
14, 15 and 16 March.
Saturday from 12 noon to 10 pm, Sunday from 12 noon to 8 pm, Monday from 11 am to 8 pm.
Nau Bostik Barcelona (free admission to the market)
250 m² market with 12 stands featuring specialised brands of fermented food and drink
14 speakers and more than 17 activities (workshops, tastings)
For more information and to purchase activities: https://frmnt.cat
Source: ACEVEDO COM