By Alli Plunkett
NO BRITISH breakfast table is complete without a jar of tangy marmalade, nor is any English afternoon tea without sweet fruity jam smothered over a fresh scone.
It is abundantly clear that as a nation we are potty about preserves and this is a passion shared whole heartedly by Jo Berry, founder of ‘Spread the Love’.
Jo’s appetite was initially enthused when a friend bought her a book of jam recipes – and she now produces an amazing collection of award-winning marmalades, jams, chutneys and pickles.
Owing to Jo’s constant experimentation with unique combinations, all her preserves are exclusive in their flavours.
She loves to add something different, be it coffee beans, cardamom, star anise or a good slug of something boozy.
Among her collection you will also find exotic flavours such as Pear and Dark Chocolate jam, Green Tea and Lime jelly with Jasmine flowers and Strawberry jam with Mint and Black Pepper.
To ensure an exceptionally high standard, Jo sources quality ingredients as locally as possible and then lovingly hand makes the preserves in small batches with a magnitude of patience in stages over a period of days.
And Jo really has thought of everything; she supplies the finished product in a variety of sizes which include a handy mini size perfect for gifts or wedding favours.
‘Spread the Love’ has now been trading for three years and in testimony of the continual high quality Jo delivers, she scooped a prestigious Gold award for her Italian Lemon Marmalade last month at the ninth World’s Original Marmalade Awards.
Her marmalade scored high marks for appearance, colour, consistency and flavour to fight off tough competition from as far away as Australia, Japan, the USA and South Korea.
As of April, Jo will be attending the Farmer’s Markets in Uppermill with a selection of flavours available to sample. For further information, go to www.spreadthelovejams.co.uk
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