Carrie Antoniou - Riverbell Cottage

Our Stallholders are the heartbeat of our markets without them and their support and huge effort to set up their stalls and present their beautifully crafted, homegrown, home baked, cleverly sourced wares for our communities there wouldn’t be community markets. Here are JAMboree Events we are so humbled by the work that our stallholders put in to join our markets that we want to share even more of their stories and work with you.

For our very first Market Blog post we want to share Carrie Antoniou founder, owner and head creator of Riverbell Cottage - not to mention mum, wife, farmer, homesteader, baker, entrepreneur and so much more. Carrie shares with us about her business Riverbell Cottage, why she started, how its evolved, why markets, what she offers her cutomers and where you can find out more.

Here’s Carrie’s story…

I started envisioning a 'homesteading' business about 4 years ago. I started off teaching old fashioned skills like pickling, fermenting and sourdough breadmaking. These classes took off and I ran them for several years.

"Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterised by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and may also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craftwork for household use or sale." 

Riverbell Cottage is a small homestead in Bellbowrie, Brisbane focused on upcycling, veggie gardening, composting and creating a sustainable way of living.

Behind the scenes of my homesteading classes I was busy making and experimenting with soapmaking. I went to my first market at Pullenvale Hall with some upcycled furniture pieces, some jars of marmalade jam and some plant pots I'd also upcycled. My goal was to encourage people to come along to my homesteading classes.

Fast forward a year and I was selling soap at the markets too because I was making so much I thought I'd better sell some so I could continue to make more! The interest in soap was immediate and I loved experimenting with recipes and really perfecting the craft. I started to think about labelling and packaging and also offering soapmaking classes alongside my homesteading classes. These took off and I was completely hooked by the soapmaking bug!

Now several years later I made the decision to put the homesteading classes on hold so I could focus on building my soapmaking business and brand. It's been quite a journey and I've loved (almost) every part of it!

I had a keen interest in getting to know others in my community who shared similar values in making things from scratch, being sustainable and supporting 'local'. So I looked into local community markets.

My first ever market was at the Pullenvale Hall and I've always loved this community of makers. When JAMooree Events decided to start the Moggill Markets I was very keen to be part of it. I've loved meeting many wonderful stallholders over the past few years and love this community that JAMboree Events have created.  

I have a large range of natural, botanical soaps, balms and candles. All 100% free from synthetic fragrances and additives. All my products are safe for the whole family,  are good for the skin and the environment. A lot of people in this area have septic systems too and so being aware of what is going down our drains is very important too! 

You will find me monthly at the Moggill Markets and also online at www.riverbellcottage.com. Please like my posts on Facebook and Instragram, comment and share. This means a lot and helps get my business more exposure. If you love a product please let others know so it can continue to grow  support as I grow my business, I really appreciate it.