From interior design to homemade jam, after five years Pittenweem Preserves owner Fiona Audsley has decided to share her winning formula recipes in a new cookbook.
Is there a simpler way to make delicious and affordable homemade jam? This is the mission 54-year-old Fiona Audsley, owner and jam maker of the firm set herself when setting up her business.
Since its inception in 2018 as a part-time hobby, Fiona has built up Pittenweem Preserves to now sell to 60 retailers in the Fife area. The business even picked up the best product gold award at the Scottish Speciality Food show in January 2020.
It was in May 2020 when she committed to the business full-time after she and her husband Michael’s interior business, Feather Your Nest, was affected by the pandemic.
Hobby to full-time producing
Speaking to The Courier, Fiona said: “Our interior design business all went to the wall during lockdown because we couldn’t go into people’s houses and building sites closed down.
“Our next thought was ‘what can we do next’, and ‘is it possible to make a living out of something that essentially was a hobby’?
“After 2 years we were professional enough in the sense we had our own labels printed and we were supplying shops but it was that leap to make it full time.
“It was a difficult time to make a living out of an artisan product like this, but we decided to go with it and it proved to be the right move.”
With her 100% fruit and sugar method, Fiona traditionally makes the jam using jelly pans in small batches from home.
Customers can taste the difference
She explained: “We use 100% fruit and sugar so even among artisan producers it is a high-quality jam. I put 2 kilos of sugar and 2 kilos of raspberries and that is all that goes in that pan. My customers think they can taste the difference.
“We aren’t making millions but it is a lifestyle business. We are in the centre of Pittenweem in a converted electrician’s workshop in the garden.
“It is a business where we care about the product, we are very environmentally aware, our packaging is all sustainable. It isn’t about making millions, it is about making a good quality product that people like.
“We are never going to get into a factory setting and change that, as it changes the quality. We want to make a good quality product that people to feed their children with it, and for it to be affordable.”
New cookbook and recipes
Now in her fifth year of jam producing, Fiona has taken the decision to share her techniques, recipes and equipment in a new cookbook due to release on March 25.
The 100 page hardback book will include recipes for her best selling raspberry jam, as well as marmalades, chutneys and jellies.
A section of the book is also dedicated to how to use the preserves in other ways, including a leg of lamb with chutney, and a couple of martini cocktails.
The book will be available to buy online from their website for £12, as well as from some retailers including the Ardross Farm Shop. Currently Fiona is taking pre-orders, and has sold over 60 copies already.
Fiona added: “It’s an all-rounder called ‘Recipes from the jam shack’. I’m really proud of it and it definitely will help people.”
