With the beginning of a fresh new year, The Artisan Kitchen wanted to create a strong retail presence on the shelves to reflect the modern style of its preserves. It has rebranded its jars in bright and striking colour and has created labels with a bold contemporary look. After all, the business started because of a splash of vibrant colour so it is only right the new style should reflect its roots – in more ways than one.
The inspiration behind The Artisan Kitchen was a local Mirabelle plum tree that would shed its wonderful, golden yellow, shiny and fragrant fruit onto the pavement. Free for all to enjoy, this bounty sadly had no takers. So Sarah approached the owner of the tree to see if he would like to swap his fruit for some preserves and one truly local batch of jam later The Artisan Kitchen was born.
Sarah's culinary background and training has been at the sharp end of the knife in some of the UK's finest hotels and restaurants, including the two star Michelin Square restaurant in Mayfair where Sarah honed her cooking skills working under renowned chef Philip Howard. Most recently she has enjoyed 10 years in the Cotswolds working at the fantastic food mecca - Daylesford Organic, founded and run by JCB's Lord and Lady Bamford. During her time there Sarah managed the preserve production kitchen and developed some of Daylesford's award winning soups, preserves and chutneys.
With a foodie pedigree like this it is little wonder that The Artisan Kitchen has won three major awards in its first year of trading. Award winning flavour combinations such as Raspberry & Chocolate Jam, Toffee Apple Jam and Seville & Cacao Marmalade have helped her achieve recognition by the region's most noted food champions.
Sarah's accolades include the Winner of Cotswold Life's Newcomer of the Year Award, presented at the magazine's 10th Anniversary Food & Drink Awards and she has also won coveted Gold, silver and Bronze prizes at the Great Taste & Taste of the West Awards.
Sarah is eager to use local fruit wherever possible and regularly forages in late summer for apples, wild plums, wild blackberries, rosehips and sloes. She is an avid and vocal supporter of local farmers' markets, farm shops and a champion of Gloucestershire producers.
"I am thrilled with the new look jars with their colourful contemporary swing-tag labels. They make a wonderful gift as well as an everyday treat for the breakfast table", says Sarah. "I am always developing interesting new flavours for the range so keep your eyes peeled for some new and exciting fruity additions to the range in 2013."
Sarah's preserves can be found in notable farm shops, delicatessens and independent retailers throughout the UK, including the recently opened Wholefoods Market in Cheltenham. Go online to find out more at www.theartisankitchen.co.uk
