Love Pickles? London Is Getting an Entire Festival Dedicated to Them
If, like us, you believe pickles make almost everything better, you’ll want this one firmly in the diary.
A brand-new festival dedicated entirely to pickled, fermented and brined food is coming to East London this September, with two days of tastings, chef demos, workshops, cocktails, DJs and some seriously good food.
The Big Brine takes over Hackney Bridge on 12 and 13 September 2026, bringing together some of the UK’s best chefs, fermenters, picklers and food brands for what sounds like our dream weekend.
Tickets are £22.50, with three different sessions running across Saturday and Sunday.
What to Expect at The Big Brine, Hackney’s New Pickle Festival
This isn’t just jars of gherkins lined up on a table — although, to be clear, we would also happily attend that.
The festival is celebrating everything from traditional pickling and fermentation to creative dishes, drinks and modern takes on preservation.
There’ll be live chef demonstrations, interactive workshops, tastings, music and plenty of opportunities to discover new food brands.
You can also get hands-on with Nick Vadasz, aka The Picklesman, and learn more about the world of fermenting, brining and pickling from some of the people who know it best.
The Pickle-Inspired Food Line-Up
Vadasz are the headline sponsors for The Big Brine
Some brilliant restaurants are creating special dishes exclusively for the festival, including Gracey’s Pizza, Brindisa, Freak Scene and Lardo.
Expect plenty of punchy flavours, unusual combinations and pickle-heavy twists on dishes you already love.
In other words: arrive hungry.
Chef Demos and Pickling Workshops
The festival’s Demo Stage will be hosted by Ayala Daly, with appearances from chefs and food personalities including Gizzi Erskine, James Peck, Mursal Saiq, Scott Hollingsworth and Kenji Morimoto.
They’ll be covering everything from fermentation and preservation to easy ways to add bigger, bolder flavours to your cooking at home.
There are also hands-on workshops for anyone ready to enter their pickle-making era, including Brine Bread with David Wright, sessions with Brindisa and Ayala Daly, and a pickle masterclass with MasterChef finalist Kirsten Dodd.
More workshops are still to be announced. Keep an eye out on their Instagram (@thebigbrinelondon) for updates.
Picklebacks, Margaritas and Bloody Marys
Naturally, the drinks are getting the brine treatment too.
The Big Brine is teaming up with brands including headline sponsor Vadasz, alongside Sylt, Bloody Drinks, Shedletsky’s and Stiff Tea, with special collaborations created just for the weekend.
Expect things like Jameson picklebacks, Cornish sea salt margaritas with Altos and Bloody Marys made with Absolut.
Saturday evening will then turn into a full after-party, with DJs and drag queens taking over Hackney Bridge until 10:30pm.
When Is The Big Brine?
There are three festival sessions…
Saturday 12 September: 11:30am–4:30pm
Saturday 12 September evening: 5:30pm–10:30pm
Sunday 13 September: 12pm–5pm
Location: Hackney Bridge, East Bay Lane, London E15 2SJ
Tickets: £22.50
Whether you’re deeply committed to the humble gherkin, permanently have a jar of kimchi in your fridge or simply love discovering something a little different to do in London, The Big Brine looks set to be one of September’s most fun foodie events.
And yes, we will absolutely be judging every dish by how many pickles it contains.
