Jo Webster

Be the change

I am a nutritionist, medical herbalist and fermentologist. Working with nutrition, herbs and microbes lies at the core of my practice. I am currently working on my PhD on fermented vegetables with Surrey University and TEAGASC. I have an MSC (with distinction) in nutritional medicine from Surrey University. I completed a 4 year degree level course to qualify as a herbalist (with distinction) and I won the BHMA Frank Power Award in 2022 for the strongest all round herbal medicine student. I won the Phyto Products award for pharmacology in 2021. I am an associate member of the Association for Nutrition, a member of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy, the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and the British Herbal Medicine Association.and a member of the UK and Ireland mycotherapy practitioner register. I also have first aid training. If you want to know more about my ongoing professional development, have a look here. Before becoming a health practitioner, I was a lawyer.

I am devoted to helping people address their health issues by focussing on nutrition, herbs and microbes. An important aspect of this process is encouraging people to take responsibility for their own health and providing them with the support, tools and information they need to do so. No two people are the same and I relish understanding each individual, their health challenges and goals and working with them to develop sustainable solutions to the health issues they face. I happily work alongside your doctor, consultant or other health practitioner. Inevitably, a key part of this process involves behaviour change and I aim to support you to make sustainable change where needed.

In my own life, I strive to be the change I want to see in the world, so I know from first-hand experience how challenging changing entrenched behaviours can be. I walk the walk rather than just talking the talk. Nutrition, herbs and microbes are the central pillars to my own approach to living my life to the full. I am mother to 4 awesome young people who are always fun to be with. I also love reading, learning, asking questions, being outside, fermenting, herbing and laughing.

Change on a grander scale

My devotion to changing life for the better extends beyond my work as a nutritionist, medical herbalist and gut health and fermented foods specialist. If I feel well as an individual, I am a nicer person to be around. I am more fun and more relaxed. I have more capacity to give to and to support those that I care about and to give to projects beyond the benefit of my immediate circle. If this approach is scaled up to many, many more individuals, then improved individual health leads to improvements at family, community, societal and eventually global level.

The Peach was founded from my desire to create a living model of a connected, respectful and joined-up life, where land-based practices are used alongside the work of experienced and empathetic health practitioners to nourish, educate, enliven and inspire others. I am honoured to have such an incredible team working alongside me. We will soon be looking for a physical home for The Peach so that our vision can become a reality.

Microbes and microbial fermentation represent a mind-boggling and previously relatively ignored influence on all life on Earth. We now realise that a greater understanding of microbes and our relationship with them will help us to better understand the incredible intricacies of the natural world and our place in it. Microbes may well provide us with viable and sustainable solutions to the mess we humans have caused. Part of the work of The Peach is to connect fermenters and microbe enthusiasts so that we can share, collaborate and expand knowledge and understanding in this important developing field. We also have a lot of fun along the way.