Ellie Perry

Designer and maker Ellie Perry is passionate about sustainability, and is always looking for ways to use more sustainable practices and materials in her work.

Her latest innovation is the Terracooler, which recently won the John Lewis & Partners Award for Design and Innovation. It’s a modern take on the “zeer pot”, an ancient method of cooling that dates back to 3000 BC.

The Terracooler uses the natural properties of terracotta to keep food cool using just water, thanks to the porosity of the material. It absorbs the water, cooling the food as it evaporates, helping to reduce energy consumption and food waste.

Ellie currently has a prototype but has struggled to get moulds made so that it can be produced at scale. She hopes to be able to release the product for sale with the funding of the Young Innovators grant.

She adds:

“It is such a great scheme that supports young people just like me who have all the ideas and passion for their business but are just struggling with the funds to get started. It’s also so great to be teamed up with a mentor and hopefully inspire others to be innovators too!”