Cornersmith Picklery

After years of wandering aimlessly, now I know what I was put on this earth to do: make pickles.
I mean, it all makes sense. I love eating the little bastards. So crunchy and vinegary and marinated and UGH I want some now. But it took my brother buying me a voucher for Christmas to Cornersmith’s pickle-​making workshop (at their Picklery just down the road from their café) to unleash my inner pickle beast.
Also I think I have a slight crush on the café owner/​pickle queen Alex. Those big blue eyes, that easy way she has with people, her candour and uncannny pickle making abilities. Wait maybe it’s not love, maybe it’s just professional admiration. Whatever, she’s married anyway, both to a man and her pickles. She’s an awesome host though.
In 3 hours, in small, hands-​on groups, we made our own cucumber pickle, and brewed up big steaming cauldrons of peach and chilli chutney. I tell you, the feeling of world-​conquering satisfaction when you walk out of there with the fruits of your own labours is something everyone should experience once or ten times in their life.
You learn:
— how to sterilise jars
— how to make pickles and chutneys
— how to salt vegetables to reduce water content and keep them crunchy
— how to make your own brine
— the secrets of spices
— how to process full jars of pickles and chutneys to ensure longevity
— ethics and sustainability
— how to LOVE and LAUGH
They also do bread-​making, cheese-​making, and a day-​long tomato party workshop. Best things you’ll ever do.
PS: massive shout-​out to cooking elf Maddy for all her help too.