Top Shelf Preserves
Sara Pishva has always loved sour, tart, and tangy flavours. Candy, fruit, and deeply vinegary pickles were among her favourite things as a kid. Once Sara got into home canning in her 20s she realised she had a knack for coaxing bold flavours out of fruits and vegetables. She cooked her way through pubs and fine dining restaurants to support herself, looking for a place in the culinary scene. Eventually it dawned on her that she would have to carve her own path. With the encouragement and help of friends and family Sara got deep into pickling and preserving and founded Top Shelf Preserves in 2013. She quickly developed a line of bold pickles, jams, marmalades and preserves that customers would seek out at markets and local retailers. Sara discovered she had capacities beyond cooking and learned that she enjoyed the challenges and fast pace of running a small business. Fast forward to 2021 and she's still pursing that perfectly balanced sweet/tart target. She still gets to flex her culinary skills and apply her experience to growing her business.
