Adventures in Fermentation with Dr. Johnny Drain

Date: 8/17/26
Time: 9:00-10:30 am Pacific
Location: Virtual
Pricing: $5 members, $10 non-members, $5 students
How to Register: Register online using the button below. Registration ends August 16, 2026.
Presented by: RCA Northern California

Agenda: 9 am-10:30 am talk with Dr. Johnny Drain

Event Summary:
Johnny’s talks blend scientific curiosity, entrepreneurial creativity, and real-world impact, distilling complex ideas into engaging, actionable strategies. With wit and verve, he inspires audiences to think freshly about some of the world's biggest problems, starting with what we eat.

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Speaker:

Join RCA Northern California for an engaging, high-energy virtual presentation by Dr. Johnny Drain, an internationally recognized expert on the future of food, sustainable innovation, and fermentation. With a Ph.D. in materials science from Oxford and a career helping Michelin-starred kitchens like Mirazur, The Fat Duck, and Noma, he has pioneered ways to use science to unlock flavor and transform overlooked ingredients into deliciousness for the world’s top hospitality brands and the zero-waste movement. He was the director of fermentation at Douglas McMaster's London restaurant, Silo. As Co-Founder of Win-Win, he spearheaded the creation of the world’s first cocoa-free chocolate, challenging industry norms with patented innovations. He also co-founded MOLD Magazine, a forward-thinking platform exploring food design and technology. His thought-leadership has been featured by BBC, CNN, and Bloomberg, cementing his reputation as a leading voice in the future of food.

A dynamic speaker and advisor, Johnny has captivated audiences at the UN (AI for Good), the V&A, and top global conferences, helping organizations navigate food’s biggest challenges—zero-waste, gut health, entrepreneurship, climate resilience, and the intersection of AI and food. His 2025 book, Adventures in Fermentation (Penguin Life), reveals the vast and unsung ways in which microbes are shaping the future of what we eat and much more besides.

RCA Disclosures

• Nonrefundable: Registration fees are nonrefundable, but may be transferred to another person. If RCA must cancel or reschedule the event, your registration will be refunded.
• Contact Information: By registering for this event, you consent to the sharing of your contact information (such as name, email address, and company) with the event’s sponsors. This information will be shared exclusively with sponsors for purposes related to the event and will not be shared with other attendees or third parties.
• Photographs and Videos: During this event, RCA may take photographs and/or video of you which may be posted to social media and on the association’s website. By registering for and attending this event, you agree to the use of images in photographs and/or video for this purpose. Additionally, other event attendees may take photographs and post said photographs to social media. RCA shall not be responsible for photographs taken and/or shared by other event attendees.
• Session Recordings: This session may be recorded for the purpose of education, training, and use in RCA’s Learning Library. The recording will be used for this stated purpose and shall not be used for any other purpose. Do not share information that you do not wish to be recorded. If you are uncomfortable being recorded, please refrain from speaking and submit questions via email.

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