27/08/2026
Ten years. I’m not quite sure how that happened.
Back in August 2016, after an EHO inspection and with handwritten labels on my jars, The Tealady officially began. There was no grand plan. I simply loved making good food and hoped people might enjoy it too.
Since then there have been an awful lot of jars, markets in the rain, Christmas fairs, food festivals, the Norfolk Show, Ely Cathedral and many more wonderful places along the way.
In 2018, a trip to Somerset to learn the proper art of marmalade making with Viv Lloyd began a love affair with marmalade that is still going strong. There have also been Great Taste stars and World Marmalade Awards, things I could never have imagined when I was sticking those first handwritten labels onto jars.
But when I look back over ten years, it isn’t really the awards or milestones that stand out.
It’s the people.
The fellow traders who became friends. The event organisers. The wonderful local food community and all the laughs, weather dramas and cups of tea shared along the way.
My family and friends have been there from the very beginning too, particularly the Tealad, who has been all in on this slightly mad preserving adventure.
And, of course, my customers. Whether you’ve bought my jam, chutney and marmalade at a market, through a stockist or online, I will never take for granted that you choose something I’ve made to take home to yours.
Ten years of The Tealady has brought opportunities I never expected, but more importantly, it has brought some truly lovely people into my life.
For that I feel incredibly fortunate.
Thank you for being part of it.
