The fruits of my success
Elspeth Biltoft from Masham, Yorkshire, makes jellies, jams and chutneys. Here, she reveals her recipe for a delicious business
How one woman has created a thriving jam, jelly and chutney business
Whenever I see the crab apples fall to the ground, in a satisfying succession of quickening thuds, I can’t help but smile. Set with unrefined cane sugar and a little lemon juice, these freshly gathered fruits will form the basis for my award-winning preserves. I’ve been running Rosebud Preserves for 30 years now, and I’m so proud that our jams, chutneys and jellies still retain this fresh, homemade quality.
Growing up in the Yorkshire Dales, I spent my childhood gathering wild fruit. My father had an allotment, where he grew fruit and veg. By my teens,
I was experimenting in the kitchen, making crab-apple jellies, marmalade, piccalilli and chutney. When I finished school, I did a fashion and business degree, and went on to work in garment manufacturing. However, I didn’t like working for someone else; I wanted to make my own decisions.
I married and once I had my three girls – Katie, Rebecca and Jessica, now all in their 30s – I realised that I could be self-employed. My then-husband and I had a smallholding, and we had the idea of preserves: I could make them; he had a great ability for sales. So, in 1989, Rosebud Preserves began its
journey. We started out with six products – piccalilli, cucumber pickle, a few fruit jellies, and chutney with apples, onions, raisins and green tomatoes – all recipes handed down from my mother. We took some jars of produce to our local bank manager who was so impressed with our idea, he gave us a loan of £40,000! With that, we renovated an old barn next to our home, transforming it into a two-storey kitchen and office space.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
The business began long before social media, so we built up a customer base by attending craft fairs and agricultural shows. The more events we did, the more interest grew. I employed two local farmers’ wives to help out. Soon, farm shops, grocery stores and independent delis were asking to stock the products. In 1992, we started selling in America! In 2004, I applied for a grant of £100,000 through a government support agency called Business Link, and renovated a second barn.
Today, our bestsellers are Strawberry Jam, Wensleydale Chutney and our
Old Yorkshire Chutney (all £3.95 each). The freshness is so much better than mass-produced versions because we use in-season, homegrown ingredients that are untouched by chemicals. You can really taste the difference. We source ingredients from carefully selected orchards and farms, and forage for local ingredients ourselves.
Now, 30 years on, I can’t believe how far we’ve come. My three daughters are all based in London, and two of them work on the Rosebud Preserves stall at Borough Market during the week. We are now stocked by the upmarket department store Liberty and the delivery service Ocado, and have even supplied the Covent Garden Opera House. The interest from these big brands has led to us doubling our turnover in the last four years, and taking on more staff, including a PR manager and sales team.
At 69, I’m still heavily involved in all areas of the process, testing and tasting new recipes developed by our head chef. Nothing makes me prouder than a happy customer. To see a message saying, ‘This is exactly how my mum used to make it’, is a real endorsement. When I think back to being that young girl chopping apples and green tomatoes in my kitchen, I know I’ve done my own family proud.
• rosebudpreserves.co.uk
‘Nothing makes me prouder than a happy customer’