Preserving the Past

How Jenny McCain channels her grandmother’s entrepreneurial spirit

Jenny McCain grew up enamored with her grandmother’s stories about post-war entrepreneurship. Just after World War II, her grandparents started a Birmingham, Alabama, clothes manufacturing company with just two sewing machines in the back of an airport hanger.  At its height, the company produced more than half of the children’s clothes made in America. 

“My grandmother often said she never doubted it would be a success,” says McCain. “I am still in awe of what they accomplished.”

That family legacy of determination and creativity inspired McCain, who’s also a practicing attorney, to start a creative venture of her own. In 2024, she founded Woodhill Cottage, a conserve and jam company, in her kitchen. Today, Woodhill Cottage products are sold online and in specialty shops throughout the southeast and as far north as Connecticut.

Woodhill Cottage began as a deeply personal project—one created to honor McCain’s grandmother, Ruby. “One of my favorite childhood memories is cooking her,” she says. “I always looked forward to spending time with her, and our conversations often turned to business and home economics.”

Seamlessly blending business and home efforts, Ruby was one of Birmingham’s earliest businesswomen. “My grandmother loved to cook and set a pretty table just as much as she loved landing a new customer,” McCain says. Not only did she co-found McCain Manufacturing Co. Inc., she served as its chief operations officer.

That legacy lives on in McCain. “One of my first Woodhill Cottage marketing activities was to set up a table at Little Hardware and do tastings of the jam with homemade buttermilk biscuits.” The whole community, she knew, passed through those doors. “Word began to slowly spread about our products. We added peach and tomato jam to the line-up and, before I knew it, that first Christmas season, we sold everything we had on hand before mid-December.” 

The tomato jam stands out as a clear favorite. Customers rave about the Woodhill speciality, lauding its versatility. And indeed, the company’s website outlines many uses for the sweet-savory spread. “It’s fantastic on a grilled-cheese sandwich, on scrambled eggs, and over cream cheese with crackers,” McCain says. “And, it takes a hamburger to another level.”  

Other inventive recipes include tomato jam cheese thumbprints, game-day sliders, mini potato gratin stacks with bacon and tomato jam, and tomato and basil mini tartlets. For a next-level indulgence, she recommends oven-baking bacon with the tomato jam and a bit of brown sugar to produce what she calls "billionaire bacon,” a rich and crispy addition to favorite appetizers like deviled eggs. 

Woodhill Cottage is thriving amid a renewed cultural fascination with preserves, and McCain sees the trend as part of a larger longing. “This cultural interest centers around a place to call home,” she says. “We gather in our kitchens, show love by caring for others, and find comfort in good food. It’s one of those everyday luxuries that takes us back to childhood breakfasts, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and time spent with family.”

That nostalgia is central to her work. “I’ve been an old soul my entire life, and I feel very connected to the entrepreneurial part of my family’s history. My grandparents always stressed the importance of working hard, valuing excellence, and being forward-thinking.”

McCain works hard to ensure those values continue to be represented in every aspect of Woodhill Cottage. “The entire process has made me feel like my grandmother is still close by,” she says. “She passed away 27 years ago, but I can still hear her voice as I work on this business.” 

To learn more and shop, visit woodhillcottage.com.

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About the Author

Virginia Brown is a freelance journalist, writer, and editor with nearly 15 years of editorial experience. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Atlas Obscura, Southern Living, AAA Traveler, Apartment Therapy, and more. She holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School and a B.A. from UNC–Chapel Hill, is a professional member of ASJA, and lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.