PICKLES YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE
Tradition
All Pickleboxx products are made in small batches by me (Holly Lockie) alone, this allows me to pay close attention to every detail and make any necessary adjustments in the recipes along the way. Small batch production is the key to creating exceptional specialty foods. I never use short cuts or chemicals in the pickling process, preferring instead the time honoured traditional methods that have be used for centuries.
Ullapool was literally built on fishing and pickling, salting and preserving the catch. What better place to carry on the tradition.
'Faithfull to traditional methods,
Open to creative exploration.'
Provenance
In the 70s, on the west Coast of Wales, my parents married, sold their belongings, bought a tiny boat and sailed up here to the Scottish highlands together on a one way journey and settled in 'Loch shark', kylestrome, Sutherland. There they built a seaweed clad, teepee to inhabit (mainly to escape the cold and the excessive amounts of condensation that develop, unavoidably, in a small fiberglass boat with two people sleeping inside). With determination (and desperation) my father fashioned a bow and arrows from the wood he could source and taught himself to shoot, hang and butcher wild deer as their main source of food. Secondary to that was gathered seafood, fish, eggs, nuts, berries, leaves and roots. They lived like this, honing their skills and knowledge for 2 years..until i came along.
I was brought up in Glenleariag, at the head of Loch Nedd, Assynt, Sutherland until school age, and then in Drumbeg until age 16. I spent much of my free time walking, camping, foraging, fishing and learning skills from my folks such as tapping birch trees for sap, hot smoking venison to make jerky, making traps to catch eels and creels to get shellfish, collecting fungi and seaweed for drying and seeking out the first primroses and violets of the season to make candied flowers.
My first jobs were in Hotels and restaurants, always favoring the kitchen jobs over the front of house. Over the years cooking jobs took me to many interesting places across Scotland, Cornwall and Ireland and even to Antarctica (on a Greenpeace ship). Cooking, and creating, with fresh foods is one of life's great pleasures, and one which I am eternally greatful for.
Sustainability
At Pickleboxx, sustainability is at the heart of what I do. I strive to minimise waste by using reusable, returnable, refundable packaging in the form of the amazing versatile glass jars by Weck. Toughened glass sutible for boiling when 'canning' goods for extra long shelf life, oven proof (upto 200°c!), plus dishwasher and freezer proof, there is not much these beauties cant handle! Returned empty, you will recive a £2 refund and the whole unit (jar, lid, rubber seal and clips) will be sterilised and dried ready to be refilled to be used again.
One Jar from every batch of pickles we make will be donated to the 'Ullapool community pantry' as a way of returning kindness and gratitude. Follow @pickleboxx on instagram and Tiktok to find out when the next jar is being donated.
The Wild West Coast
Gather
The sparsely populated west Coast of the Scottish Highlands is world famous for its beautiful game, fish, seafood, fungi, fruit and herbs and we are very lucky to be right in the centre of a large wild area where such things are at our fingertips. With a little knowledge (and respect) we have a sustainable larder of unadulterated foods on our doorsteps.
Seasons
I am greatly inspired by the Japanese philosophy that each year has 72 (micro) seasons. The love idea of being so in touch with our natural environment that we notice the subtle changes of the seasons, within the seasons.
Here on the west coast, the polarity of the seasons, shapes its plants, its animals and its people to be adaptable and prepared for anything. During the long bright days of summer, the sun is high in the sky long into the evening, which would have given us plenty time to feed, harvest, hunt and gather. Then in preparation for the dark cold nights of winter we would have dried our peats and preserved what we could of the summer glut.
To forage on the west Coast is to work hand in hand with the seasons and glean a little more knowledge each year. Its a challenge and a pleasure to pinpoint when the first sap starts rising in the Birch trees at the end of the winter. To find the first bright green blades of wild garlic in the spring, to pick the plump brambles of summer and to spot the young Chanterelles singing out from the moss and fallen leaves in autumn. Certain flavors evoke memories of places, people and particular times of the year. Each new season, a yarn, weaving slowly together to make the rich tapestries of our lives on these lands.
"My heart's in the highlands, wherever I go." ~ Robert Burns.
Harvest
"The closer the better" is my philosophy when it comes to sourcing great produce for using in Pickleboxx pickles. I work hard to find vegetable and herb growers in and around Ullapool or as local as possible. And when there is little available here, I'm happy to travel East to the farm lands of Inverness and to The Natural Vegetable Company, a certified Organic farm on which I had many happy years working myself I the past. There, I know I will get the very freshest, pesticide free, fruit and veg, from trustworthy growers who are a pleasure to work with. Occasionally I will use larger Scottish suppliers from places such as North-Berwick, Fife & Aberdeenshire to fill any gaps but endeavour to source my main produce from as close to home as possible.
Collaborators, Suppliers & Stockists
Jo Munro @ Jojo's Cafe
Iain Sutherland @ The Natural Vegetable Company
Iain Sutherland @ The Natural Vegetable Company
Pickleboxx would not exist the way that it does without Jo. After working for Jo, cooking and preping for a couple of seasons, in October 2024 I announced I was going self employed and starting out in pickles. She agreed to me using jojo's cafe kitchen as my premises, and after a thorough examination by Environmental health, I got the go
Pickleboxx would not exist the way that it does without Jo. After working for Jo, cooking and preping for a couple of seasons, in October 2024 I announced I was going self employed and starting out in pickles. She agreed to me using jojo's cafe kitchen as my premises, and after a thorough examination by Environmental health, I got the go ahead.
Jojo's Cafe is a great wee take away deli (with some seating outside) in the building that used to be the Ullapool post office, joined onto the Caledonian Hotel. They make their very own Gelato ice-cream from scratch, plus lots of hand made savoury pies, quiches, rolls, soup, salads, cakes, chocolates and hot daily specials using local produce whererever possible, not to mention supplying fresh veg, eggs, milk, cheese, bread, drinks AND..of course PICKLEBOXX pickles!
An absolute must, to visit, when you're in Ullapool. To be found at 4 West Argyle Street.
https://www.instagram.com/jojo_cafeullapool?igsh=MXE2Nmo2cHB2dHlncQ==
Iain Sutherland @ The Natural Vegetable Company
Iain Sutherland @ The Natural Vegetable Company
Iain Sutherland @ The Natural Vegetable Company
Instant nostalgia for me when I hear 'Clachandreggy', the name of the very special piece of land in Torbreck, Inverness-shire that is home to The Natural Vegetable Company. (Well before having children) I worked at NVC for many happy, fun filled years and learnt pretty much everything i know today about Organic growing and cultivating.
The
Instant nostalgia for me when I hear 'Clachandreggy', the name of the very special piece of land in Torbreck, Inverness-shire that is home to The Natural Vegetable Company. (Well before having children) I worked at NVC for many happy, fun filled years and learnt pretty much everything i know today about Organic growing and cultivating.
The NVC was started by Maggie Sutherland in 2003 and is now run and managed by her eldest son Iain who's mission is to grow healthy food for the local community. They are certified Organic by The Soil Association and maintain extremely high standards throughout their 4 polytunnels and outdoor patches to meet the requirements and uphold their own heartfelt beliefs about how veg farming should be done. They operate year round, and impressively, supply their customers with fresh veg 12 months of the year. No mean feat, considering the highland winter weather and low temperatures. Veg boxes are their mainstay, which they personally deliver to their customers weekly. Very popular..you will find there is a waiting list to get onto their veg box list, for sure. Other than that, they supply well renound local restaurants with their beautiful rocket and mixed leaves and..I'm proud to say..also supply Pickleboxx! Really excited to collaborate with NVC this summer to start a new pickle range..Hungarian hotwax peppers!! Watch this space.
Weck
Liz @ Contin Village stores
Liz @ Contin Village stores
Established in Germany in 1900, Weck was the first company to make glass jars that were suitible for 'canning', a preservation process that involves boiling sealed jars of produce to give them a long shelf life and preserve the nourishment of foods that would otherwise spoil. Weck had 3 factories making these jars which were all desecr
Established in Germany in 1900, Weck was the first company to make glass jars that were suitible for 'canning', a preservation process that involves boiling sealed jars of produce to give them a long shelf life and preserve the nourishment of foods that would otherwise spoil. Weck had 3 factories making these jars which were all desecrated during the war and had to start again from the ground up. Weck is a company rooted in helping people thrive, and much like it's jars, it is built to last. Pickleboxx can relate to that.
Not only are Weck jars are strong, versatile, oven and dishwasher proof, fridge freezer compatible and cool to look at..to me, they still symbolise stoicism and the the self sufficient mindset, well into the 21st century. They are the only choice, for Pickleboxx.
Liz @ Contin Village stores
Liz @ Contin Village stores
Liz @ Contin Village stores
The 1st shop on the NC500 route southbound of Ullapool. Run by a lovely couple. Our only stockist other than Jojo's Cafe, currently.
Our products
Pickles will be added here as they become available. Find them all at Jojos cafe, Ullapool.
Pickled Scottish beetroot in malt vinegar with Ullapool bay leaves
560ml for £9.
Sold out
2025 Ullapool Birch Syrup
40ml for £15
Sold out
Chunky Highland Beetroot & Blood orange relish
220mlfor £5