This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to London
The practice of pickling is believed to have originated in the Tigris Valley around 2400BC, when the ancient Mesopotamians discovered that immersing vegetables in an acidic solution both preserved and made them tastier. From the 15th century onward, it became a global practice. In eastern Europe, cabbages were pickled to make sauerkraut, cucumbers to make dill pickles; in the Mediterranean, olives and peppers were preserved in the same way. Across east Asia, pickled vegetables such as radish, aubergine, garlic and chillies are served as accompaniments to many dishes, while one of south Asia’s favourite condiments is achar — a spicy, tangy or sweet pickle commonly made using mango, lime and mixed vegetables.
We are now, however, living in a golden era of the pickle, largely driven by trends around improving gut health (more than 130,000 people in the UK have subscribed to the gut-focused nutrition programme Zoe) and a burgeoning interest in sustainable cooking and eating. In London, as restaurants strive to use ingredients with fewer food miles, creating menus around seasonal British produce is becoming common practice. By preserving vegetables in acidic solution, the bounties of spring and summer can be served year round and don’t take up precious freezer space.
Pop culture is also showing symptoms of pickle obsession: last year, Dua Lipa shared a recipe for Diet Coke with pickle juice and jalapeños that was viewed millions of times on TikTok; on TV, an episode of Rick and Morty in which the protagonist, Rick, turns himself into a pickle, sparked a tsunami of sales of pickle merch, including hats, socks and even full-sized costumes. Then there’s The Big Dill, a touring pickle festival in the US that drew 7,500 people in Philadelphia last June.
My own passion for pickles began under McDonald’s golden arches; I was the friend who would happily collect the floppy, vinegary green discs from everyone else’s cheeseburgers. As my taste in restaurants and knowledge of food preservation developed, particularly through my training as a chef, I’ve learnt that there are better places to eat much better pickles than the car park of an industrial estate.
Dining out
Silo (Hackney Wick)
First floor, Unit 7 Queens Yard, White Post Lane, London E9 5EN
Silo became London’s first zero-waste restaurant by centring its offering on fermentation and pickling to preserve food and reduce throwaways. “Pickling is our bread and butter at Silo,” says executive chef Will Stoyle. “It’s a simple way of preserving food beyond the seasons and giving longevity to our produce. But it’s also super delicious.”
Silo is tasting menu-only (£75), although in the early evening and for Saturday lunch there is the option of ordering an abbreviated version (£45) comprising Stoyle’s favourite dishes. While meat and fish options are available, the menu is generally plant-forward, with dishes ranging from smoked pumpkin with cultured cream to asparagus with fava-bean miso and fennel. A standout I recently tried was a plate of golden beetroot served with yoghurt and blackberries, which had been pickled in elderflower vinegar. The sharpness of the berries balanced the dish by cutting through the earthy heft of the beetroot, while the pickling demonstrated how warm autumnal flavours could be served with summery fruits in spring. A meal at Silo is an education in waste reduction — and how to use pickled products in a multitude of ways. Website; Directions
Scully (St James’s)
4 St James’s Market, London SW1Y 4AH
At chef Ramael Scully’s eponymous restaurant, guests are greeted with a display of jars of fermenting, preserving and pickling ingredients at the door.
The restaurant is known for vibrant and varied flavours influenced by Scully’s heritage — he was born in Malaysia to a mother of Chinese-Indian descent and an Irish-Malay father and raised in Australia. He is also a protégé of Yotam Ottolenghi, aka Pickle Aficionado Number One.
There are two- and three-course set menus (£60 and £70), as well as seasonal tasting menus (from £100) and à la carte, all using an exceptional range of pickled produce. The pickles appear in the whole gamut of dishes, sauces and even cocktails. Salt-brined green tomatillos, which have been lightly pickled in apple vinegar and pastrami spices, are served as part of the sea-bass main; pickled red meat radish (also known as Chinese radish) makes a side for the beef cheek pastrami dish; and vinegar from the pickling jars is a key ingredient in the prickly pear and saffron kombucha.
As a tasty way to minimise food waste, fermenting and preserving are central to Scully’s cooking ethos and “approach to conscious dining”, he says. Long live the pickles (literally). Website; Directions
Little Duck The Picklery (Dalston)
68 DALSTON LANE, LONDON E8 3AH
This east London spot from the founders of Soho’s Ducksoup is a restaurant, wine bar and fermenting kitchen serving a phenomenal variety of preserved products, both in dishes and to take home. As one might expect given the location, Little Duck is a small plates restaurant serving natural wines, so you can try the pickles on offer and wash them down with wine that also tastes fermented (intentionally).
The majority of the menu options involve some form of pickle or ferment. Think green chilli, oregano and mint-pickled fennel; courgette achar; carrot black cardamom and coriander-seed sauerkraut. My favourite recent dish on the menu is chicken leg with green olive, preserved lemon, bulgur wheat and yoghurt — warm and comforting but also zingy and fresh thanks to the acidity of the preserves. Little Duck also sells jars of sauerkrauts, daikon and spring-onion kimchi, lime pickle, fermented hot sauce and various kombuchas and drinking vinegars to take home. Website; Directions
At home
Sylt Pickling
Founded in London in 2021 by friends Ash Ringhus and Temi Olugbenga, Sylt sells ready-made pickling liquids and runs masterclasses on how to create seasonal pickles at home.
Using a pre-made liquid removes the most time-consuming element of making your own pickles, prevents stinking your house up with vinegar and allows you to pickle whatever your heart desires. Although it might seem odd to purchase a pickle product without any pickles in it, the liquid can be used twice (and then for a marinade once), and allows you to experiment with preservation while clearing out your fridge. Ringhus credits the success of the business partly to “the increased awareness that there are so many more types of fruit and veg that make delicious pickles than the relatively narrow range that traditionally have been available”.
The brines come in five flavours: Scotch bonnet and lemon; balsamico and basil; juniper and sage; spiced apple with cinnamon and cardamom; and dill and mustard. The Sylt website also offers comprehensive guides on what to pickle in each season, alongside recipes using the final pickled product. The first one I tried using one of the liquids was a Scotch bonnet and lemon spicy margarita (admittedly not for the health benefits), and I also made the pickled fennel and almond salad using balsamico and basil, which was excellent.
Sylt also offers pickling classes, in which they teach a short history of pickling. Participants then put the theory into practice by pickling a variety of fruit and vegetables with provided recipe suggestions. Website
Panzer’s Deli & Grocery (St John’s Wood)
13-19 Circus Road, London NW8 6PB
A north London institution and pillar of the capital’s Jewish community, Panzer’s has been the go-to spot for pickle purists for over 80 years.
Opened in 1944 by Austrian refugee Mr Panzer and his Czech business partner Walter Vogl, the deli has been one of London’s top places to find traditional Jewish food ever since. It is now a grocery store, deli and café — with a sushi counter.
A staple of the Ashkenazi Jewish diet for centuries, pickles were routinely preserved to last families through harsh winters in eastern Europe’s ghettos and settlements. Some of the most authentic pickles in London are sold at Panzer’s, alongside hard-to-come-by products from around the world. Whole pickled cucumbers are difficult to find these days, with most people preferring to buy something sandwich-ready and sliced. But Panzer’s sells a few varieties of the whole pickled vegetable. My favourite is the classic whole pickled cucumber, though I could spend a whole afternoon meandering around Panzer’s, where I always end up buying more than I came in for. Website; Directions
Vadasz
Vadasz began trading at London food markets in 2009, and now sells a wide variety of pickles in UK supermarkets. The traditional products, such as garlic and dill sauerkraut and fresh pickled red onions, are inspired by founder Nick Vadasz’s Hungarian roots and family recipes. His forebears fled Hungary after the Soviet invasion of 1956 and famously took with them a large jar of pickles to last the journey. Eventually they made their home in Kent where Vadasz grew up, eating meals with a side of pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut. “Vadasz pickles enjoyed today can be sourced back to my grandmother’s kitchen, where as a child I helped prepare fresh pickles to serve with schnitzel, stuffed paprikas or gulyás [goulash],” he says.
Vadasz has branched into other fermented products such as kimchi and hot sauce and it is valued at over £16mn. He has also just published a book about pickling. A large part of the brand’s success is owed to its pickling method — it uses cold brining and lacto fermentation, making the end result crunchier and sharper in flavour in comparison to other supermarket products, which are often heat-treated. Vadasz’s pineapple and turmeric sauerkraut and super-beet kimchi are some of my favourite pickled products available on supermarket shelves. Website
Who in your opinion does London’s most delicious pickles? Share your recommendations in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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