The Curious Cabinet - Unlock your curiosity
We welcome you into a world of antique recipes and intriguing delights. Unlock your curiosity and step inside.
It all started when…
It all started when Pia, our Founder, was pregnant. It was the festive season, and she was sick of drinking soda water, or lemon, lime, and bitters, and missing out on festive cocktails!
She discovered the intriguing world of Shrub syrups through an article in a magazine, and decided to try making them herself. She was hooked. The traditional, colonial recipe combines the sweetness of fruit and sugar, and the tartness of apple cider vinegar. She found it irresistible.
A love affair began, and in 2019 The Curious Cabinet entered the world. Now, with 16 different products in our range, we’re thrilled to be stocked by over 100 businesses nationally.
We are also extremely proud of our low waste philosophy, having created a range of delicious preserves & pantry products using the fruit left over after making our Shrub Syrups. This means we use as much of our beautiful ingredients as possible, with very little waste. The most important benefit of all - more delicious treats for you to enjoy!
meet the team
Pia - Founder
Pia’s favourite product is the Rhubarb Shrub Syrup. A curious fact about Pia is that she taught herself the drums at 35, and played regular gigs around Melbourne with her band until they split up a few years ago. Who knows – maybe The Curious Cabinet will create a band!!
Nathan - Production Team
Nathan’s favourite product is the Lime Dust. A curious fact about Nathan is that he used to be a bartender in London.
Gaylene - Production Team
Gaylene’s favourite product is the White Peach Syrup. Gaylene’s curious talent is that she can wiggle her ears without moving her face.
Mady - Admin Assistant
Mady’s favourite product is the Mandarin Dust. A curious fact about Mady is that she loves reading Australian crime fiction.
Our Environmental Philosophy
Our products would not be as delicious if it weren’t for mother nature and the amazing ingredients we have at our fingertips. Our team always tries their hardest to prioritise the environment in all aspects of our production and distribution. From cardboard boxes to leftover fruit, we aim to make sure that we are keeping as much out of the bin as possible.
Cardboard
Lots of cardboard comes through our door and we’ve discovered a nifty way to transform these boxes into a clever alternative to bubble wrap.
You will often find one of our staff members having some mindful time whilst putting cardboard through the shredder.
Fruit goes a long way
We have a lot of fruit that enters through our doors, from mandarins, peaches, strawberries, rhubarb and cherries. We can’t bear to waste any so we always make sure that the fruit left over after making our syrups is then transformed into another amazing product. We do our best to ensure that the only thing that ends up in the bin are the pips and the tops and tails.
For example, the mandarin pulp leftover after straining our Mandarin Shrub Syrup is then magically transformed into our Mandarin Dust (skin and all).
