Kent-based Jewish farm and community hub Sadeh is raising funds to start a pickle kitchen and micro-brewery.

Its Lone Goat Brewing Company has crowdfunded more than £4,000 of its £10,000 target and has begun preparing its pickled sauerkraut and fermented hot sauce to fulfil its first batch of orders.

Sadeh chief executive Talia Chain, 31, explained that staff at the Orpington enterprise viewed the break during the first lockdown as an opportunity to realise a dream they had when the farm was established in 2017.

“There is a big shortage of people coming in to work in the fields at the moment so there’s plenty of food to be picked,” she said. While some of the Sadeh crops had been given to the local community during the pandemic, pickling was a “really important part” of preventing food waste.

The pickle kitchen would be a means of producing food during the winter months, with the brewery launching in the spring. “The amazing thing about pickles is that they can live on your shelf for an exceedingly long time.”

Once it is licensed, the plan is for Lone Goat to sell cider made from apples from the farm and a variety of beers. Products will be available via Sadeh’s website, as well as at its café and farm shop (when allowed to open). The money raised from crowdfunding will go towards specialist equipment.

The retreat centre has been closed for most of 2020, causing Sadeh a significant loss in revenue.

Ms Chain acknowledged that it had been a “very difficult” year. But Sadeh had responded with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Asked why the brewery’s founder, Josh Charig, had chosen the name Lone Goat, Ms Chain said it originated from his admiration for the animal — and also, “why not? Goats are awesome.” To mark the brewery being set up, Sadeh was looking to foster a pair of rescue goats “so they won’t be lonely”.

The Lone Goat Brewery crowdfunder can be found here.