The Larder

Artisan Jam & Preserves made with love

With wicked twists on tradition.

Where did it all begin?

I can't decide if it was sitting eating hot buttered sourdough toast & jam with Poilaine, in his Paris bakery, while it dripped through my fingers or convincing the neighbours, one magical London summer to let me rescue their ripe cherries from the birds.

The smell of bubbling berry jam is such a sensory memory! In my kitchen that day, I had 2 other fav ingredients of mine, vanilla pods and ginger, so that also went in the pot.

The tinkering never stopped...

What is a larder?

lar·der (noun)

a cool place with a supply of food, otherwise known as a pantry

Larder Artisan Jam & Preserves

Sonja has developed an incredible range of artisan jam and preserves that are whimsical twists on tradition and have unique flavour combinations. Why do ordinary?

Start experimenting with our condiments! Don't just enjoy them spread on toast - try swirling them into Greek yoghurt, drizzle over pavlova, combine it with your favourite cheese or stir into curry's and stir fry's to add a balance out the flavour instead of sugar. Did you know our Lemon, carrot & vanilla marmalade is sublime with brie or camembert? Our Cherry, ginger & vanilla jam is the bomb with roast duck or roast beef!

Enjoy them at home, they make fabulous gifts too, put 3 jars in a gift tube for a perfect corporate gift. Sonja also supplies the luxury hospitality industry with large jars.

Because the jams & chutneys are made with less sugar it makes them partnered with cheeses. Absolutely superb! If you are a hotel or restaurant and require wholesale, please contact Wild Peacock or email food@wildpeacock.co.za

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How did the Larder begin?

Our founder, Sonja fell in love with food in the early ’90s when stranded in Australia after a skiing accident. Sydney with its diverse overflowing food culture was a mecca not only for good food but the café coffee culture. It became a dream of hers to start a café, a bit like Cheers, where everyone knows your name...

Working at a small boutique hotel, who focused on sustainability and cooking seasonally, complete with full kitchen garden, she was inspired by food producers, local farmers, focusing on animal diet and health. The industry was celebrating the small, away from large factory produced goods.

Seeking formal training, she enrolled in Leith’s School of Food & Wine in London. During her years in London, she worked as a private chef in luxury properties in the UK, Italy and France. In between, she worked as a food stylist on tv shows, commercials, books and magazines as well as food editor & writer on M&S magazine, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda.

Sonja ran her café's in Cape Town for 10 years. It was there, that the range of artisan jam developed, Covid disrupted the industry and she decided to close the café chapter.

View her work and contact her on Foodbysonja for any menu development, consulting, recipe development or writing. Working in gazillion kitchens, she has become a whizz in re-designing kitchens to work optimally. She also assists restaurants, boutique hotels and villas in optimising their kitchens and procuring equipment to suit the space.