“Our mission is to empower as many people as possible to pickle themselves silly.” That’s according to the founders of award-winning brand Sylt Pickling. It is a pioneer of ready-to-use pickling liquors: flavoured liquids in which consumers can pickle foods from vegetables to fruit and even fish.
Sylt is the brainchild of Aslak ‘Ash’ Mikucki-Ringhus and Temi Olugbenga, friends who met on the first day of their first jobs in London. The origins of the brand can be traced back to an autumn evening in 2020 when Mikucki-Ringhus first pitched the idea of ready-to-use pickling liquors to Olugbenga.
“Ash was historically no fan of anything preserved in vinegar — until his wife introduced him to gherkins early in their relationship,” explains Olugbenga.
That sparked a pickle obsession in Mikucki-Ringhus that had him experimenting with pickling all sorts of things. “The real lightbulb moment came one evening when, while making fish tacos, Ash realised there were no pickles left for the meal.”
This reinforced something Mikucki-Ringhus had been noticing for a while: home pickling is often seen as intimidating, smelly and tedious, as it means boiling and cooling a vinegar solution to start. “The only real alternative was generic, pre-pickled supermarket jars. And this was a narrow range that left no room for culinary creativity.”
Mikucki-Ringhus brought the idea to Olugbenga, and together they set out to remove the hardest part of the process by producing ready-to-use, gourmet-flavoured pickling liquors.
Neither had professional experience in food production. Mikucki-Ringhus has a journalistic background and Olugbenga was a commercial director. But they were soon developing recipes. The pair initially worked from their home kitchens before moving into Mission Kitchen, a shared commercial space at London’s New Covent Garden Market.
Sylt Pickling launched in 2021 and secured its first listings with independent stockists such as delis, farm shops and garden centres. It also landed on digital food marketplaces including Delli, Yumbles and Not On The High Street.
“Because ready-made pickling liquor was an entirely new category, our biggest challenge was consumer education,” says Olugbenga. “We have tackled this by showcasing as many different use cases as possible, both when it comes to what you can pickle, from fennel and fish to blackberries and pineapple, and how you can use your pickles.”
The brand has also invested in experiential marketing, and run Sylt Pickling workshops in London and the south. “These show people how pickling is a great way to use more seasonal produce, cut food waste and have fun with flavour.”
Sylt started as a small-batch producer, fulfilling DTC orders online and delivering directly to independent farm shops and local delis. Having originally handled all production themselves, Olugbenga and Mikucki-Ringhus now outsource the majority of production, doing the remaining in-house from a kitchen space in Brixton.
Stockists have expanded to include Selfridges, online premium grocer Sous Chef, independent retailers such as Mare Street Market and Burford Garden Centre, and London pubs and bars including the Blue Maid in Borough and the Queen Charlotte in Fitzrovia.
Having recently secured an accredited co-packer, the business is now also looking to build on previous interest from national retailers.
Sylt’s pickling liquors debuted in Dill & Mustard, Scotch Bonnet & Lemon, Juniper & Sage and Apple & Cinnamon. It has since expanded with Balsamic & Basil, and the business will launching a new line this year in collaboration with Mizkan.
In addition to pickling liquors, Sylt offers a range of limited-edition ready-to-eat pickles. Available at events and markets, they include pineapple, peppers and cucumber.
Scotch Bonnet & Lemon has gone on to become the brand’s best seller and the winner of a gold at this year’s Farm Shop & Deli Product Awards.
“We love a spicy pickle, and knew from day one that a chilli and citrus combination had to be included in the core range,” Olugbenga says. “After playing around with a few different types of chillis, scotch bonnets proved the most flavourful, and a good amount of heat without blowing your head off. We found lemon offered a nice balance to the spiciness, with a zestiness that also complemented the acidity from the red wine vinegar.”
Pairing Scotch Bonnet & Lemon with pineapple has turned out to be a winner. It’s been the brand’s staple sample since the beginning and has proven a hit with Sylt’s hospitality customers, being a popular choice as a pickleback shot.
Winning awards such as the Farm Shop & Deli Gold helps the business develop the category, says Olugbenga “To our knowledge we are the only maker of flavoured, ready to use pickling solution, and awards are a great source of recognition of the quality of our products.
“It is also invaluable when approaching potential new stockists, serving as an instant credibility piece, and shortening the path to the shelf.”
Expanding the brand’s regional and national listings will be the best way of spreading the word about pickling and getting people “pickling themselves silly”, Olugbenga adds.
“Pickling has been a much-used preservation technique for thousands of years, and is still prevalent in cuisines all around the world. In the longer term we hope to bring our pickling liquor to the masses beyond the UK, with EU top of the list of international priorities.”
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