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!
