Our Story
House of Isobel began in the kitchens of our family home, with recipes lovingly handed down through generations. Long before we ever dreamed of jars and labels, there was our Nan Smith, standing over bubbling pots of jam and relish, teaching us that good food takes time, patience, and a generous heart. Around Tasmania, her preserves became legendary. People would drive from the north of the state down to southern markets just to get their hands on her relishes and jams, often arriving early before they sold out.
Years later, with Nan’s encouragement and guidance, we decided to continue the tradition ourselves. So House of Isobel was born, created by us, Laura and Courtney, as a way to honour the people who shaped our family and the recipes that shaped our childhoods.
The name Isobel runs deeply through our family tree. It is Courtney’s middle name, the middle name of our Papa’s mother, and also his stepmother’s middle name. It felt fitting that the business carry a name woven so carefully through generations of strong women.
Every product we make is named after someone we love.
Our Old Fashioned Raspberry Jam is named for our Papa, who we sadly lost in May 2025 after a battle with a brain tumour. He was the most wonderful grandfather; impeccably dressed at all times, happiest out fishing or gardening, famous for his pork belly, and never far from a wee brandy, a glass of pink champagne, or a Cascade stout. He brought warmth and laughter everywhere he went, and naming a jam after him simply felt right.
Zucchini Pickles Betty honours Papa’s mother, Betty, whose story has been passed down through our family for generations. Betty passed away at just 33 years old after developing sepsis from a rose thorn stuck in her finger, removed with a dirty needle. Papa was only three years old when he lost her. In a heartbreaking twist of timing, penicillin became available only months later. Though we never knew her, her story remains part of the fabric of our family.
Our Apricot Jam is named after our beloved Nan Jack — “Kitty” everyone else — who passed away in 2019 at the incredible age of 98. She was one of a kind: a shark at cards, maker of the world’s best cups of tea, never one to swear, yet somehow always able to send you off with the rude finger and a grin.
Sweet Strawberry Jam belongs to Nanny Mac, Nan Smith’s mother, who raised eleven children and absolutely adored having family around her. Her home was always full of noise, people, and love; the kind of place where there was always room for one more at the table.
And then there is our Royal Relish, named after Nan Smith herself, the woman who taught us everything. Nan loves gardens, flowers, trees, lawn bowls, baking, coffee and toasties, a beautiful wine, and a good TV show. We often joke she must have Italian blood in her somewhere because you can never leave her house empty-handed. Whether it’s produce from the garden, leftovers, cake, or something she’s “just whipped up,” she is always giving. That generosity sits at the heart of House of Isobel.
Our family comes from Oatlands, the small historic town between Hobart and Launceston where we both grew up. It’s a place of paddocks, stories, long lunches, and community, and so much of who we are comes from there.
House of Isobel is more than preserves in a jar. It is family history, stories told around kitchen tables, recipes scribbled on old paper, and the people we carry with us every day. We feel incredibly lucky to have come from a family filled with such love, character, resilience, and generosity, and we wanted to share a little piece of that with others.
Because the best way to tell a family story is often through the stomach, and hopefully, into your heart.
