About Laduka

“I’m just an unknown cook who loves putting smiles on the faces of people I cook for.”

The creation of Laduka Preserve’s award-winning preserves, jams, chutneys and pickles is the brainchild of Sunshine Coast local, Carly Mullins. For her, these delicious concoctions are so much more than an economical, old-fashioned way of using up surplus fruit and vegetables from her garden. Rather, putting a wide-eyed smile on the faces of those tasting her products drives Carly’s passion, something which began in her very own kitchen.

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With years of experience working in commercial kitchens and food safety, in 2015 this Sunshine Coast mum found herself in the full-time job of raising her two young boys. It wasn’t until she volunteered to run a stall at their school fete that preserving really began to take shape beyond a modest hobby. For months, Carly sourced locally grown fruit and vegetables, jars and bottles, and stood in the kitchen of her Noosa Hinterland home, sterilising, stirring and toiling away. The result was a sell-out stall for the school and a wonderful boost of confidence for Carly. She began entering her preserves and jams in country shows around Queensland and her delicious products (unsurprisingly) placed or won in each category at every show for four years straight. In 2021, she was awarded the penultimate achievement: the Ekka’s Champion Preserver. It was time to get serious and admit this little ‘hobby’ was actually a full-blown passion.

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Encouraged by her amazing husband Ben and her two biggest fans, sons Luke and Adam, Laduka was born, a commercial kitchen built and her sought after product range is now available to more than just grateful friends and family. Despite the uptick in production, this gentle and kind soul remains true to her kitchen cook origins.

“Cooking takes me to a place of peace and happiness. When people are happy and enjoying my cooking and my products, it gives me a really full heart.”

Carly’s passion is obvious, and with a purpose-built garden around her Pomona home full to bursting with her own fruit, vegetables and herbs, making the most of every home-grown finger lime, orange, rosella, passionfruit or tomato is important.

“Preserving, pickling and making jams and chutneys is more than just adding a heap of sugar or vinegar to fruit and vegetables. It’s about taking the time to extract the best possible flavour from carefully grown produce, and thinking what it could be best served with; how is that dollop going to stand out and work with everything else on the plate?”

Through her hard work and passion in this small family business, each product in the Laduka Preserves range goes beyond being delicious; Carly’s attention to detail, love and care pours out of every jar and bottle.