Piet 'Gees' Marais

Founder & Community Builder

Piet’s love for cooking started at an early age, fishing, foraging and hunting with his parents. Naturally, this cultivated a love for outdoor cooking and a deep seeded respect for nature and ingredients. Piet studied to be a chef at the ICA and then broadened his experience abroad, cooking professionally and travelling through Africa, Thailand, China, Western Europe and the UK. Eventually making his way back to South Africa, Piet then got involved in organic product manufacturing at Santa Anna’s while developing the art of hot-smoking and cooking on fire. Piet was also the proud winner of South Africa’s Ultimate Braai Master in 2015. His fermented journey has taken exposed him to sourdough, charcuterie and lacto fermented fruits and vegetables.

Murray Slater

Founder & Community Builder

Murray has been managing, building and owning bars and restaurants in London and South Africa for the last 12 years. His love for good food and beverages combined with his passion story telling through writing, podcast and video has inspired him to found fermented to celebrate and educate on all things fermented , and to create a podium for local entrepreneurs to showcase their stories and products.