Katerina Lazareva is the vibrant, sunny face of Suria Foods. Every week she brings her
organic fermented produce and tonics to the markets. Her aim is to heal the body by
improving gut health and to heal the planet by promoting fermentation as a means of
achieving zero waste.
Russian-born Katerina’s grandparents were exiled to a labour camp during the Stalin
regime in the 1950s. Forced to adapt to a different climate and harsh conditions, they
began to farm and preserve food, surviving on whatever the earth provided. Suria Foods
has also followed a path of relocation, adaptation and change.
Katerina moved to Australia over 10 years ago and trained as a chef. Seeking a change of
pace from busy kitchens, she ended up in the Himalayas at a solitary mountain temple.
She returned to Australia keen to reconnect to her roots and embrace ancestral
practices. “I no longer wanted to be a part of the system, work for corporations without
a sustainable purpose, or eat chemically treated food that causes all our modern
generational health issues and damages our environment.”
Katerina has set up a market scale garden at The Farm in Byron Bay, using regenerative
and eco-friendly methods. She also holds fermentation classes. Every single part of the
vegetable is turned into a healing product. “I want to contribute to soil regeneration so
our future generations have a better and healthier planet to live in.”
The menu changes each week depending on what’s in season, so you won’t just find
cabbage! You might find oyster mushrooms, nuts, herbs, cherry tomatoes and garden
herbs miso and seaweed kimchi. There is also a range of probiotic drinks and prebiotic
broths.
When Katerina has a moment of spare time spends it with her best mate – her dog,
named Pickles of course!