Meet Lauren, FermenTas Comms Manager

We are thrilled to announce that Lauren Brown, better known as LT, has joined the Fermentas Team as our Communications Manager.

Quick side note: Lauren was given the nickname LT in high school, as both her first name (Lauren) and surname (Thomas) were quite common at the time. Since then, she has been married and is now Lauren Brown. A bit confusing, we know, but good nicknames have a way of sticking around!

Back to the announcement ….

LT hails from the USA and arrived on our shores in 2015. She landed in Launceston as her Australian partner wanted to study Sustainable Design at UTAS. The move was never intended to be long-term, but after being introduced to Tassie’s food and natural beauty, it was clear that she had found her new home.

“I immediately fell in love with the connection this place (Launceston) had to food, and its producers,” LT recalls. “In the States, I felt disconnected to my food, how it was grown, where it was produced. And here, all around me, were the people growing and producing the things I was consuming daily. I realized that the romantic idea of eating locally-grown food and knowing your farmer could be my reality.”

However, soon after arriving LT noticed that there was a gap in the market - she was unable to find a locally produced kombucha, a fermented drink relatively unknown at the time. Kombucha had become an integral part ofher daily routine, at a naturopath’s suggestion, after she fell ill with a waterborne parasite. So, LT decided she would start producing kombucha for the local Launceston community and share her love of fizzy, fermented drinks. Avocado Moon Kombucha was born.

Since 2016 LT has ridden the wave of small business, with all its joy and challenges. She believes that her experience within the fermentation sector will enhance her role as Communications Manager. “As a small producer myself, I feel especially excited about my role with FermenTasmania, as I hope to bring industry insight and challenges to the conversation.”

Working alongside CEO, Karina Dambergs, LT’s role will be to bring together the fermentation industry, academia, and government to build on Tasmania’s reputation as a global centre for excellence in fermentation, as well as helping to develop the sector into a shining example of the value fermentation has on a place, and its people.

Interested to know more about what we do? Want to know how you can get involved? Great!

LT cannot wait to hear from you, so give her a shout and say g’day at lauren@fermentasmania.com.