Episode Summary

This week, Erica Moore sits down with artist and entrepreneur Eleanor Cunningham.

Many people know Eleanor as the founder of Edinburgh Larder. But this conversation isn’t really about hospitality or art. It’s about noticing when you’ve drifted away from something important and finding your way back.

Eleanor shares how years of building and expanding a successful business eventually led her to realise that more wasn’t necessarily better. Growth wasn’t always the answer.

Over a period of time, she gradually returned to creativity, observation, and the things that had always helped her feel most like herself.

This conversation explores the pressure to keep expanding, the value of doing less, and what becomes possible when we create space to listen to ourselves again.

Yet more evidence that clarity can come from paying attention to what’s already there. So pop the kettle on and hit play.

Today’s episode is brought to you by: Sea Within, a restorative herbal infusion designed to support recovery, calm the nervous system, and help you reconnect with your body after cold water swimming, sauna sessions, or any demanding experience.

In this pause for tea, you’ll discover:

* 04:30 Why Eleanor left finance to build a business around local food

* 08:30 The connection between food, place, and feeling rooted

* 13:00 When growth stopped feeling aligned with what mattered

* 14:20 The moment she realised managing more wasn’t the same as creating more

* 20:00 How Covid unexpectedly opened the door back to art

* 21:15 Rediscovering a part of herself she thought she’d lost

* 25:15 Why creativity helped quiet a constantly busy mind

* 29:30 What a dog taught her about slowing down and paying attention

* 36:00 The link between regeneration in landscapes and regeneration in ourselves

* 46:20 Why doing less has become one of her most important life lessons

"Just allowing yourself time to notice things is really important."

Resources and Links

Connect with Eleanor Cunningham

Eleanor Cunningham is an artist and entrepreneur whose work explores memory, belonging, regeneration, and our connection to place through abstract landscape painting inspired by East Lothian.

Website | Instagram | Edinburgh Larder

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Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

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