Ugly Duck Fine Foods

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Ugly Duck Fine Foods

Ugly Duck Fine Foods creates hand-crafted, small batch preserves from bumper-crops and surplus produce. It's all taste - no waste.

Ugly Duck is a boutique food business creating delicious preserves. We work in small batches with seasonal produce that we collect personally from our supporting farmers, gardeners and businesses. The outstanding feature of our hand-crafted preserves is the produce we use. Whenever we head into the kitchen, the seasons' surplus produce determines our recipes. At Ugly Duck Preserves we believe that

food should not be wasted and we therefor source our fresh products directly from farms and private gardens gathering up their surplus bumper-crops. We also rescue fresh fruit and vegetables that were rejected by the large supermarket chains because of their non-standard size, shape or colour. To us, taste and freshness of our ingredients are the only qualities that matter, odd shapes and sizes don't.

26/01/2026

Treat yourself, I’m sure you deserve it and it’s too hot to cook anything anyway!

A cheese platter with 3 different types of cheese, some fresh fruit, some quince paste and a few crunchy crackers and nuts makes for a beautiful afternoon snack or dinner. No cooking required, barely any dirty dishes and one could argue it’s a healthy, high protein dinner.
Enjoy!

29/10/2025

Halloween 🎃 grew slowly on me. It’s not a tradition I grew up with but my little one does.
She LOVES everything spooky and dressing up and putting makeup on - so what’s a mum supposed to do? Embrace and go with the flow 👻💕

Making these spooky face platters is not too hard to do, give it a go.
Use a sharp small paring knife to cut out the spooky faces.
I believe our Jaboticaba or grape and bay paste will give you the best blood colour effect. Plum and chilli paste would also work.

Have fun and tag me in your creation! I’d love to see them.

20/10/2025

These warm Brisbane nights call for salad dinners, don’t you reckon?
Burrata with fresh nectarines and tomatoes topped with my Nectarine and Turmeric fruit paste - easy done.
If you struggle to find burrata cheese, use fresh mozzarella or even boccochini instead - they are all equally delicious.

09/10/2025

Oh rhubarb - I love you!
And I know I’m not alone, many of you have told me over the years how much you love the taste of rhubarb.

Well, I whipped up a seasonal jam of Rhubarb and Strawberry mostly for myself but I’ll share a few jars with you guys.

And I’ll even bring it to my upcoming markets:
Oct 18
Oct 25

30/09/2025

Sunshine Coast strawberry season is almost over 🍓
Yesterday I drove up the coast to collect a huge amount of rescue strawberries from our favourite farmer, and this time they were even certified organic! 🌱

Did you know I’ve been sourcing berries from the same farm for the past 8 years?
It will take Vanessa and me two full days to cook them all up into our Strawberry Fruit Spread. Small batch cooking with less sugar, and packed with all that berry goodness.

And then… it’s over to you to enjoy them! There are so many ways to use strawberry spread: 🍰 As the perfect filling in a Swiss roll 🥜 Spread on sourdough with peanut butter 🥞 Dollop generously over your pancakes during a lazy weekend brunch
🧁Fill those scones
Or use it as a dipping sauce for your sausage rolls?!? Yep, that’s what my 4 year old is doing..

How do you use our spread?

24/09/2025

Dinner done in 5 minutes 🙌
Gooey cheese, crusty bread, a nice drink. Top it off with a good helping of our plum and bay paste and everyone will be happy 💕

16/09/2025

Taco Tuesday, but make it waste-free! 🌮
Fast, fun dinners don’t have to be boring or wasteful.
 Our Smoky Capsicum Salsa is made from rescued capsicums, perfectly delicious, but not quite pretty enough. Instead of going to waste, they get a new life in this bold, smoky salsa.

👉 Taco Tuesday Recipe Idea:
* Warm up your favourite tortillas
* Add shredded chicken or black beans
* Toss in crunchy slaw, avocado & a squeeze of lime
* Finish with a big spoonful of Smoky Capsicum Salsa (trust us, it takes tacos from good to oh wow).
*
Ready in minutes, loved by the whole family and you get to be a food-waste hero at the same time. 🙌

Shop our Smoky Capsicum Salsa via our online and at some selected retailers and let’s make your tacos (and the planet) a little happier tonight. 🌎💛

And don’t forget to tag me in your creations!

10/09/2025

Christmas in a Jar is Back! ✨
Our Spiced Plum Jam has returned - just in time for the festive season.
 Rich, plummy and infused with warm Christmas spices, it’s the jar that tastes like a hug from the holidays.

Perfect spooned onto a crusty sourdough, stirred through porridge on a cool morning, or turned into a luscious glaze for roast meats. 🎄💛

This is a limited seasonal release.
👉 Available now in our online shop.

22/08/2025

🛍️ Germany’s “Rettertüte” The Grocery Bag You Actually Want

I spotted something seriously cool during my holiday in Germany, a brilliant concept that Australia needs to embrace. 🤞🙏

It’s called the Rettertüte (rescue bag), and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a mystery bag of perfectly edible, slightly “imperfect” fruit and veg on sale for only €3.

Supermarkets like Lidl and now Kaufland are selling up to 5 kg of produce that might be bruised, blemished, or short shelf life - but still absolutely delicious. Every bag is different and totally unexpected. It’s fun, affordable, and reducing food waste at the same time.

Why does it exist? Because Germany has made food waste a national priority. Thanks to a „Too good for the bin“ initiative, they’re aiming to halve food waste by 2030 across the entire supply chain.

I absolutely love this idea: food with personality, sold at a bargain and saving produce from going to waste. Let’s bring Rettertüte to the Aussie shores!

24/07/2025

Postcard from Germany: Fruit Trees on Every Corner 🍎✨

While wandering through my brother’s small town in Bavaria, Germany, I spotted something amazing...

The local council has planted fruit trees along most of the streets, in public parks and play grounds — apples, pears, cherries, plums, even quinces.

And the best part? When the fruit is ripe and ready, you’re welcome to help yourself!
To encourage everyone to harvest, the trees get marked with a simple ribbon around the trunk that says “Pflücken erlaubt” - “Fruit picking allowed” 🍐🌳

Could we plant edible trees in public spaces in Australia? More food, more sharing, more connection to food and seasons.💛

18/07/2025

Stockist Spotlight: Mumbleberry

Say hello to Mumbleberry, one of those feel-good local stores that does everything just right.

Nestled in the heart of Wilston Village, this family-run providore curates the best of Australian-made - with 98% of their pantry range coming from small, local makers. Think artisan condiments, boutique cheeses, gorgeous gift hampers, and also my Ugly Duck range!

And for city folk, there’s Mumbleberry Lane, their second shop tucked inside Heritage Lanes, 80 Ann Street. It’s the perfect CBD pit stop for top-shelf snacks, cheese, sweets, and thoughtful local gifts.

We’re proud to be part of their beautiful shelves, and even prouder to share space with so many Aussie-made brands we admire.

📍 Wilston: 92 Kedron Brook Rd, Wilston QLD 📍 Brisbane CBD: Mumbleberry Lane, 80 Ann St, Brisbane City

Pop in, explore, and don’t forget to grab your favourite fruit paste while you’re there!

10/07/2025

Stockist Spotlight: The Cheeseboard 🧀

Nestled within Albion Fine Trades, The Cheeseboard is more than just a cheese shop - it’s Brisbane’s only dedicated cheese maturation cave. Founded by affineur Wendy Downes, this artisan fromagerie champions Australian-made cheeses, supporting small-scale farmers and producers.

What sets The Cheeseboard apart is its commitment to affinage, the art of aging cheese. Cheeses mature onsite in a temperature-controlled ‚cheese cave,‘ ensuring optimal flavor and texture.

Beyond cheese, The Cheeseboard offers a curated selection of local pantry goods, including honey, wine, gin, and olive oil, reflecting their ethos that local is best.

We’re proud that our fruit pastes are among the carefully selected accompaniments available here, perfectly complementing their range of Australian cheeses.

📍 Visit them at 97 Sandgate Rd, Albion QLD 4010 🕒 Open Wed–Sat: 9am–5pm, Sun: 9am–3pm

Address

Brisbane, QLD
4105

Website

http://www.uglyduckfinefoods.com/

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