From One Jar to Thousands: The Story Behind In A Pickle Preserves

Every business has a beginning, but ours didn't start with a business plan or dreams of becoming a nationwide brand. It started with an abundance of beautiful country fruit, a few family recipes, and a simple idea, don't let good produce go to waste.

Back in 2010, founder Paula Geddes was living in Young, New South Wales, Australia's cherry capital, where stone fruit and cherries were plentiful. Surrounded by quality local produce, Paula began making jams and pickles for family and friends using fruit sourced from local growers, including Charlie from Galeas Fruit & Vegetables in Cowra.

At the time, there was never any intention of creating a business. The preserves were simply made for the family to enjoy around the table.

The very first recipe ever created was our now famous Ploughman Pickles. It's a recipe we're incredibly proud of because, after all these years, it hasn't changed by a single ingredient. While our labels and packaging may have evolved, the recipes inside every jar remain exactly as they were when they were first lovingly made in our family kitchen.

Every time someone tried a jar, they wanted another one.

Neighbours wanted them.

Friends wanted them.

Workmates wanted them.

As more jars found their way to friends, neighbours and locals, people kept asking the same question:

"Can I buy another jar?"

One person in particular changed everything. Charlie from Galeas Fruit & Vegetables in Cowra had been supplying us with beautiful local fruit and vegetables. After seeing what we were making, he suggested, "Why don't you come and sell them down at the Cowra Farmers Market?"

It was a simple suggestion that would change our lives forever.

So we packed up a handful of homemade preserves in jars wrapped with little pieces of cloth tied around the lids, loaded the car and headed to the Cowra Farmers Market.

Those first jars looked nothing like the ones you see today.

There were no professionally printed labels. No branding. No displays. Like something you would expect to see in your grandmothers pantry shelf. Simple. Honest. Homemade

We had no idea what to expect.

Looking back now, it's hard to believe those homemade jars sitting on a folding table would eventually grow into what In A Pickle Preserves has become today. The markets quickly became more than just somewhere to sell a few jars. They became weekends filled with conversations, returning customers and invitations to more and more events.

Before long, markets weren't just an occasional outing, they became our weekends.

For the next ten years, Paula and her son Bryce travelled together nearly every Saturday and Sunday, often setting the alarm for 4:00 am to drive across regional New South Wales. Whether it was freezing winter mornings or scorching summer afternoons, they were there, setting up before sunrise and meeting thousands of wonderful customers along the way.

It wasn't glamorous. There were countless late nights spent cooking, washing jars, preparing stock and loading vehicles before another early start. But every market brought new friendships, loyal customers and another opportunity to share homemade food made the old fashioned way.

What had started as a hobby slowly became something much bigger. As demand continued to grow, so did the business.

The homemade cloth-covered jars gradually gave way to professionally designed labels, uniform jars and displays that reflected how far the business had come. Behind the scenes, there was just as much learning taking place.

Food regulations became more complex. Packaging standards evolved. Branding became increasingly important.

Fortunately, Bryce had gone on to study Marketing and Advertising at university, allowing the family to create a professional brand while still keeping the heart of the business exactly the same. Together, the family built a commercial kitchen completely from scratch, along with dedicated storage facilities that would allow the business to continue growing while maintaining the same homemade quality.

Then came 2020.

Like thousands of small businesses, COVID brought everything to a sudden stop.

Markets disappeared almost overnight. The familiar early morning market routine suddenly stopped. The roads became quiet. The market stalls sat empty. Like many small businesses, we faced an uncertain future. Instead of standing still, we decided to move forward. Instead of giving up, the family adapted.

With Bryce's marketing background and web design skills, In A Pickle Preserves launched its online store. What could have been the biggest challenge in the business's history soon became one of its greatest opportunities.

Orders began arriving from all over Australia.

Before long, trips to the post office became an every-second-day routine. Between wholesale orders and online sales, the back of the ute was regularly packed to the roof with parcels waiting to be shipped. The website allowed customers who had once only found us at markets to continue supporting us from wherever they lived.

Today, In A Pickle Preserves has grown to include more than 100 products, including jams, pickles, relishes, chutneys, sauces, BBQ rubs, dip mixes and many more handcrafted favourites. We proudly supply more than 10 stockists, with new stores joining our family every year, while still attending the occasional market whenever time allows.

Although plenty has changed since that first market in Cowra, one thing never has.

Every recipe remains homemade.

Many are the exact same recipes Paula first created all those years ago. We still believe the best preserves aren't made in enormous industrial batches. It would certainly be easier to produce everything in huge commercial quantities.

But that's never been who we are. We don't believe bigger always means better. We believe quality comes from taking your time.

From stirring every batch with care. From refusing to compromise simply because it's quicker.

Every jar we produce carries a little piece of where we've come from. It carries memories of country kitchens. Of long weekends on the road. Of early morning market starts. Of conversations shared across market tables. Of recipes that have stood the test of time.

Most of all, it carries the hope that when you open one of our jars, you're not just tasting jam or pickles.

You're tasting tradition.

You're tasting country Australia.

You're tasting the love, patience and pride that has been poured into every batch since 2010.

Our goal has never been to become the biggest.

Our goal has always been to make products we're proud to place on our own table.

Whether one of our jars reminds you of your grandparents' pantry, Sunday lunches with family, or simply adds something special to tonight's dinner, we hope every jar brings a little happiness into your home.

From a handful of homemade jars at the Cowra Farmers Market in 2010...to a growing family business supplying customers and stockists across Australia...

Thank you for being part of our story.

We can't wait to see where the next chapter takes us.

We don't just preserve fruit. We preserve memories, traditions and the simple joy of sharing good food.