"Kombucha came into my life because an old coworker of mine brought a home brewed batch into work. I had been wanting to try to make it, too; I didn't know much about fermentation at the time, so it seemed intimidating. But I tried it, and it was really good. That kind of gave me the confidence to try to make it myself."
"Eater describes the Philadelphia restaurant as the city's "best living room" filled with "talented people eager to tell you about their meticulous, inventive, risky, unconventional work." Julal, a self-taught expert on kombucha, koji, and more, is one of those people. What started as a DIY operation-he would make kombucha in his studio apartment and hand-deliver it, on bike, to customers around town-landed him in an unorthodox career path, with a title usually reserved for chefs at behemoths like Noma."
Jamaar Julal studied restaurant management at The Restaurant School in West Philadelphia and considered switching to culinary but rejected the lifestyle and hours. He started JamBrü Ferments in 2018 while a student after trying a coworker's home-brewed kombucha. He learned fermentation techniques on his own, posting process updates on Instagram, giving away batches, then selling from his apartment and delivering by bike. A 2020 Philadelphia Inquirer profile expanded his reach and led to wholesale distribution to roughly 20–25 restaurants. Julal developed expertise in kombucha, koji, and other ferments and now serves as director of fermentation at Honeysuckle.
Read at PUNCH
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