Our new gift boxes are here, and we couldn’t be more excited to show them off!
We loved working with local illustrator Alice Ferns on our gift boxes last year, and when it came to giving them a fresh look, we knew we wanted to do it again. As a small business, it’s lovely to be able to work with other independent creatives and see how they interpret our message in their own style.
When we came across Jess’s work, we were immediately drawn to its bold colours and playful details. There’s so much life in her illustrations, and we loved the idea of creating a gift box that people would want to look at just as much as they’d want to open!
The finished design is full of little things to discover. Look closely and you’ll find tiny people making themselves at home amongst the fruit and vegetables. We keep spotting new details every time we look at it!
It turns out Jess was already a Single Variety Co fan, which made working together even more special. We caught up with her to find out more about her process and how our new gift boxes came to life.
Meet Jessica Smith, illustrator & artist
Tell us a bit about yourself and your illustration style. How would you describe what you do?
I’m Jess, a freelance illustrator and artist. I would describe my work as playful and bold, taking inspiration from everyday life, people, places and patterns. I work on a huge range of projects, from packaging to advertising and publishing!
You work with a wonderful range of clients, including The Frome Independent, The Newt in Somerset and Cambridge Satchel. What drew you to Single Variety Co?
I’m very lucky to have such wonderful clients, and when I saw that Single Variety Co were looking for an illustrator to create some work for them, I jumped at the chance.
We’ve been buying your chilli jams and preserves for years as Christmas gifts, and they are just the most delicious things! As my love for food illustration has grown over the years, I thought this could be the perfect collaboration.
Where did you start with the idea? Was there a colour, a feeling or a specific fruit that sparked the whole thing?
I knew I wanted to have a really fun, busy illustration for the main image. As I started to illustrate all of the fruits and vegetables, I thought, wouldn’t it be really fun to add some little people into the world?
The colours came secondary to the design this time, which isn’t always the way that I work. But I love how this one has turned out, and I feel like the poppy orange background is going to work through many months and seasons!
Can you walk us through your creative process? How many directions do you explore before settling on one?
My creative process is to first brainstorm ideas and create mood boards with colours and elements that I want to include. Then I tend to come up with two or three very rough ideas.
Once we have narrowed it down to one idea, I’ll do a more refined drawing and then I get onto the colour! I work digitally in Procreate to add the colours and textures to my illustrations.
Is there anything that got scrapped along the way that you secretly loved?
There actually wasn’t with this particular project. I loved all of the sketches that I sent over, but the one we went with was actually my favourite!
What’s your favourite thing about the finished design?
Definitely all of the little people that are hiding within the illustrations! I love that the more you look at it, the more you find.
The most important question of all: what’s your favourite Single Variety Co preserve?
My favourite is the Fireflame Chilli Jam. It is so good with literally anything!
Follow Jess on Instagram to see what beautiful creations she's working on next.
A gift box for every kind of foodie
A huge thank you to Jess for bringing our new gift boxes to life. We hope you love them as much as we do!
Whether you’re shopping for a marmalade lover, a chilli jam fan or someone who can’t resist a fruity preserve, there’s a box for them. You can even build your own and choose their favourites.
And, each gift box comes with a matching card and a personalised gift note, ready to make someone’s day!
Explore our gift boxes
