More than your usual strawberry jam
Preserves that change with the seasons,
elevating your pantry and adding a unique touch to your meals
At The Little Preservatory, we believe in capturing the essence of nature’s finest flavours each season. Our preserves are crafted with locally grown and foraged ingredients, creating bold, exciting artisanal jams and chutneys, infused oils and savoury ketchups, cordials, compotes and more.
We aim to bring the vibrant taste of the wild into every jar, celebrating the diversity and richness of Suffolk’s bounty. Our flavours are always changing, reflecting what’s in season in Woodbridge and the surrounding area.
Current stockists
Acre Bakery
10 Market Hill, Woodbridge, IP`12 4LU
Wednesday – Friday 8.30am – 5pm, Saturday 8am – 4pm
Beacon Hill Farm Shop
Beacon Hill Farm, Martlesham, IP12 4RP
Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturdays 9am – 12pm
Essen
23 Market Hill, Woodbridge, IP12 4LX
Tuesday – Saturday 8.30am – 12.30pm
Global Fruits
47 Buttermarket, Ipswich, IP1 1BJ
Monday – Saturday 8.30am – 4.30pm
Longfields Cafe
Kingston Field, Woodbridge IP12 4BA4
Every day 9am – 4pm
Murtons Florist
47 Woodbridge Road East, Ipswich, IP4 5ST
Monday – Saturday 8.30am – 4.30pm
Stag & Hare Butchers
8 Hamblin Rd, Woodbridge IP12 1DE
Monday – Saturday 8am – 4.30pm
(Savoury & honey items only)
The Suffolk Deli
The St, Grundisburgh, Woodbridge IP13 6TD
Monday & Tuesday 8.30am – 1pm, Wednesday – Saturday 8.30am – 2pm
Upcoming Events
This season:
Preserves to celebrate and sustain
Whether you’re looking for gift ideas, something special for your festive cheeseboard, or you need flavours that will sustain you through the dark winter months, we’ve got something for you, your family and friends.
For cheeseboards we have ale and black treacle pickle, green tomato salsa, apple, fennel and walnut chutney, hot honey and more. You could event try our bell pepper and tomato sauce, equally at home on a cheeseboard as in a pasta dish for a quick and easy dinner.
We haven’t forgotten the cold, dark day of January and February either. Try our elderberry, plum and star anise, and our sloe, juniper and elderflower cordials with hot water for a fruity, uplifting drink at any time of the day. Fig and walnut, and fig, flaked almond and coconut porridge is a great way to start or end the day, especially when you stir in some apple, miso and cinnamon compote, or our quince, pumpkin and citrus compote stirred through. Try our winter berry preserve, or our marrow, pumpkin and ginger preserve on toast, or try our spicy squash chutney with your cheese on toast.
As always, keep an eye on our social media for all our latest creations.
Surplus Swap
If you have surplus fruit, veg, berries, nuts, herbs (really anything… I’m always up for a challenge!) of 1kg or more, I’ll take it off your hands.
In return, you get a share of whatever I make to devour and gift as you wish!*
*For herbs, the minium quantity is 100g. While I will try to meet dietary requirements, in providing your surplus, you also hand over decisions about what is made with your surplus. Quantity returned will depend on quantity made.
Contact us
About Us
Written by Ellie
The Little Preservatory was born at a difficult time in my life, a silver lining out of a cloudy time. I’d been facing a series of health challenges, including needing to be tube fed (first via a regular feeding tube, and then via a tube into my heart), deep vein thrombosis, thyroid cancer and more. At the beginning of 2024 I suddenly stopped sleeping, and was advised to find an activity to do in the cold, dark, small hours that would keep me from ruminating on my insomnia, but wouldn’t wake me up so much I couldn’t go back to bed. That’s when I discovered preserve making, purely by chance because we had more onions than we knew what to do with. That first batch of caremalised onion chutney became The Little Preservatory, a project that has quite literally seen me through the darkest period of my life.
Though it remains complex and fragile, my health has improved hugely since 2024, and that has allowed me to continue to grow The Little Preservatory into what it is today, a source of joy and delicious local flavours that showcase the best of each season in Suffolk. I continue to be honoured by the ever increasing numbers of local growers who entrust their surplus produce to me. I’m also thrilled to be stocked in a variety of local shops and delis, and even to be included on local menus.
Already our CTO (chief tasting officer), CMO (chief markets officer) and CFO (chief foraging officer), my husband Alexis has been involved with The Little Preservatory from the start in a variety of capacities, including building our software system that handles all the paperwork around food production, ordering etc. He’s also been a constant source of encouragement, morale and positivity in the good and the hard times.
We’ve both always loved to cook all sorts of foods and flavours, taking cooking coursed all around the world, so the decision to have Alexis join The Little Preservatory more formally in the spring of 2026 came naturally. His focus will be on business development, as well as producing a new range of products – watch this space!
I couldn’t have created and grown The Little Preservatory without the support of my husband, my family and friends, and my community. The people I have met, the friends I have made, and the encouragement, nurturing and opportunities I’ve received have meant the world.
At a time when I couldn’t share in the excitement of a home-cooked meal, or in the social gathering around a restaurant dining table, The Little Preservatory arrived to reignite my passion for bold flavours, and my ability to connect with people over food. It has grown into a passion project for both Alexis and I, connecting us to the seasons, the landscape I grew up in, and with each other.
I hope that The Little Preservatory can provide as much joy and discovery as we experience through it, and we thank you for supporting an local, independent business!
