The Artisan Kitchen

PRODUCER: The Artisan Kitchen, Gloucestershire

PRODUCT: Blaisdon Red Plum Jam

REGION: South West, Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly

CATEGORY: From the Earth (Artisan)

WHAT THEY DO

Sarah Churchill set up the Artisan Kitchen in 2011 to channel her passion for good food into her own business. She previously spent 10 years as a chef at nearby Daylesford Organic, and running the Artisan Kitchen now allows Sarah to balance home life with creating natural and innovative preserves.

Committed to using local produce, Sarah has recently developed supply networks with private growers and the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust. The blaisdon red plums in her jam, a rare heritage Gloucestershire variety, are acquired from one of these connections, ensuring great provenance and producing a preserve with a regional story.

Sarah develops, sources, cooks, labels and distributes the jam from her own small ‘preservatory’, supplying more than 400 fine food retailers across the country. These include Selfridges and Whole Foods as well as Westmorland Gloucester Services Farmshop, a favourite of Sarah’s. She says, “I would love a delicious. Produce Award for my business to help spread the word nationwide of our little artisan business. We’re hoping to achieve great things in the future with our little jars of deliciousness”.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

The judging panel were impressed with the use of a rare local heritage plum in this product, and the Artisan Kitchen’s extensive array of Great Taste Awards, which they described as “testament to their quality and fabulous taste”.

VISIT THE WEBSITE:  theartisankitchen.co.uk