Judges show great taste in giving award to jam company

A NETHERFIELD company which produces jams and preserves made from unique flavour combinations, is celebrating after winning a prestigious 2011 Great Taste Award - less than one year after it started trading.

Huckleberry’s Produce Store, based at the White House Poultry Farm, has been presented with a coveted One-Star Gold Great Taste Award for its strawberry and balsamic jam.

Ivan and Imogen, who are both in their early 20s, started the business whilst at the University of Brighton, and are approaching completion of their first year of business.

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Huckleberry’s, which started life in premises in Telham Lane, Battle, prides itself on its unique and innovative flavour combinations such as rhubarb and rosemary jam, raspberry and basil jam, golden beetroot and horseradish relish and purple piccalilli. The latest flavours to leave the Huckleberry kitchen are plum and earl grey jam, bramble and mint jelly and September will see the launch of ‘Chutney No.5’ - a chutney based on the ‘umami’ flavour concept.

Ivan and Imogen use British produce with ingredients sourced as locally as possible, even utilising vegetables and fruit from their own garden

In true Huckleberry Finn fashion, they are often found making use of as many foraged ingredients the Sussex countryside has to offer, from sloe berries and crab apples to wild garlic and rosehips.

Ivan Downes, founder of Huckleberry’s, said: “We are delighted to win such a recognised award in our first year of trading.

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“Winning a Great Taste Award appreciates the hard work and dedication that goes into making our delicious unique flavour combination jams and preserves, so to be acknowledged among some of the most reputable and well established companies is a great feeling, and something we will definitely be continuing!”

The Great Taste Awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is now in its 18th year.

7481 products were entered from 1600 companies for the 2011 Great Taste Awards.

It took 350 experts 34 days to blind taste all the entries and decide which entries would achieve the coveted one, two and three star gold awards.  

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Huckleberry’s is hoping it can prove just as successful in the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2011.

The company has been nominated in the Sussex Food Producer of the Year category.

Huckleberry’s products can be found online at www.huckleberrysproducestore.co.uk and at London farmers’ markets.