Dr Johnny Drain

Johnny is a researcher, food designer and master of microbes who creates delicious things for the world’s best restaurants, bars, and food brands. As a world expert in fermentation, he collaborates with microbes to amplify flavour, create new products and increase sustainability.

Combining his PhD in Materials Science from Oxford and years of cooking experience, his clients and collaborators have included the Nordic Food Lab (setup by Noma), Mirazur (#1, World’s 50 Best 2019), and Dandelyan (#1, World’s 50 Best Bars 2018). 

He is the director of fermentation for zero-waste chef Douglas McMaster’s London restaurant Silo, where he has pioneered innovative techniques to turn food waste and by-products into delicious things to eat and drink. 

He writes and speaks about the future of food through his work with @thisisMOLD, for whom he co-edits MOLD magazine, and he recently set up food tech company WNWN Food Labs to find sustainable, ethical alternatives to unsustainable, unethical foods, starting with chocolate.