The Artisan Kitchen

06/10/2026

A little personal thank you.

This week, I’ve received some of the loveliest emails, reviews and messages about my preserves. Such generous words, written with real warmth, and I wanted to let you know how much they have meant to me.

The past few weeks have been very difficult personally following a bereavement in my family. Amidst the sadness, your messages have lifted my spirits more than you could have known.

As someone who makes every batch by hand, it means so much to hear about the pleasure a jar has brought to your breakfast table, a gift that has been enjoyed, or a favourite you keep coming back to.

To all my lovely customers who take the time and trouble to write, leave a review or send a little message, thank you. There is a person at the other end reading your words, and this week, that person has been especially grateful.

With love,
Sarah Churchill · The Artisan Kitchen

03/10/2026

Our Latest Newsletter is out ❤️

Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ has been part of my kitchen since 2013. Deep ruby colour, generous plum flavour and a lovely natural sharpness. My latest batch is ready for your breakfast table.

26/09/2026

The Original Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™. A Gloucestershire story, preserved by The Artisan Kitchen since 2013.

My connection with this old local plum began in 2011, when stories I’d heard sparked my curiosity. I wanted to create a jam with a truly local connection, and Blaisdon Red led me to small private growers, orchards with generations of history, and many shared days picking fruit.

Local families had long made jam with these plums. Through The Artisan Kitchen, I brought the fruit and its preserve to a wider UK audience, with jars travelling as far as the United Arab Emirates.

Along the way came Great Taste stars, Top 50 recognition, a Golden Fork from the South West and Taste of the West Champion Preserve.

But at the heart of it all is the flavour. Deep, rich plum with a beautiful balance of sweetness and tartness. Lovely spread generously on good bread, spooned onto warm scones or served with your favourite cheese.

Still handmade by me, in small batches in Gloucester.

This little film tells the story.

Discover The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ through the link in my bio.

Sarah x

17/09/2026

A rather different Golden Forks evening for me this year.

I realised afterwards that I barely took any photographs, which probably says quite a lot about where my head was. I was very glad, though, that I made the journey to London and that my lovely friend came with me.

Being nominated for Guild of Fine Food Golden Fork from England for my Seville Orange & Bergamot Marmalade was something I was incredibly proud of, and it was wonderful to spend an evening amongst so many people who have been part of my food world over the years.

I particularly loved having some long overdue chats with my former mentor Guy Tullberg from Tracklements, catching up with my wonderful customers Nick and Bertie from Provenance Hub Provenance Grocer and seeing Pratap, Pratap Chahal | Chef chef, Great Taste judge and all round fantastic foodie. There were so many other judges, producers and familiar faces I was able to talk to during the evening too, and it was especially lovely to finally meet the people behind Wexford Home Preserves. Wexford Home Preserves

Huge congratulations to all this year’s Golden Fork winners and to every fellow finalist. To get that far amongst so many extraordinary products is something worth celebrating.

I perhaps wasn’t quite on my usual form on Tuesday. Behind the scenes it had been an incredibly difficult week for our family, and yesterday we said goodbye to my stepdad Neil.

There was a part of me that wondered whether I should go to London at all, but I know Neil would have wanted me to be there. He would have wanted me to enjoy it, be proud and carry on doing what I love.

So I’m very glad I went.

Sometimes the happiest and saddest parts of life sit unexpectedly close together. This was one of those weeks.

I’m enormously proud that my little jar of marmalade took me to the Golden Forks, and very grateful for all the lovely conversations, hugs, laughter and kindness that made a difficult week just a little lighter.

Here’s to all the brilliant winners, finalists, judges and food producers who made it such a special evening. And quietly, this one is for Neil too. 🤍

15/09/2026

Today I’m heading to London for the Great Taste Golden Forks 2026. Guild of Fine Food

My Seville Orange & Bergamot Marmalade has been nominated for the Golden Fork for England, which still feels rather wonderful to write.

The Artisan Kitchen has been part of my life for 15 years, and I still make every jar myself here in Gloucestershire. To have one of those jars sitting amongst the very best food and drink in Great Taste this year is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Whatever happens tonight, this one means a lot. Looking forward to meeting all the other finalists and foodies.

Wish me luck. 🍊🤞

Gloucestershire

06/09/2026

Christmas Marmalade

A festive Seville orange marmalade made with hand-cut peel and vintage Ch*****ne. Bright, bittersweet and gently rounded, it brings a celebratory twist to Christmas breakfasts, hampers and seasonal gifting. Hand-cut Seville orange peel Thin to medium-cut rind Made with vintage Ch*****ne Suitable for vegetarians and vegans by ingredients 200g e jar...

Luxury small-batch Christmas Marmalade made with hand-cut Seville oranges and vintage Ch*****ne. Chef-crafted, festive, and beautifully giftable

01/09/2026

The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ A September spoonful

One of my favourite things about The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ is that wonderful sharpness beneath the sweetness.

Today it’s going onto warm buttered sourdough, although I’m equally happy eating a spoonful straight from the jar.

Deep, fruity, slightly tart and unmistakably plum.

Made by me at The Artisan Kitchen in Gloucester, with beautiful Gloucestershire grown Blaisdon Red plums.

Sometimes the simplest things really are the best.

BritishPreserves ArtisanPreserves

29/08/2026

There’s something rather special about this time of year ❤️

Late summer means plum season, and for us, that means The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™.

These beautiful little Gloucestershire plums have such a short season, and every year I’m reminded just how lucky I am to work with them. Deep ruby skins, golden-red flesh and that wonderful balance of sweetness and natural sharpness that makes them quite unlike any other plum I preserve.

I’ve been making The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ since 2013, and it remains one of the preserves closest to my heart.

Over the years it has gone on to win some extraordinary recognition including three stars at the Great Taste Awards, 5 Golden Forks and a place in the Great Taste Top 50 Foods but for me, its real magic still begins in exactly the same place: with a rare Gloucestershire fruit, a very short harvest and a preserving pan.

A little piece of our local food heritage, captured while the season lasts. ❤️

The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™
Rare Gloucestershire fruit · Preserved by The Artisan Kitchen since 2013

BritishPreserves ArtisanPreserves PlumSeason PreservingSeason GreatTasteAwards

29/08/2026

Blaisdon Red plums have held a very special place in my kitchen and my heart for more than a decade.

I first made Blaisdon Red Plum Jam commercially in 2013, using this wonderful heritage fruit grown here in Gloucestershire. Since then, The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ has gone on to receive an extraordinary collection of Great Taste and Golden Fork awards.

But this story has always been about far more than awards. It’s about a rare local fruit, the orchards and growers who have cared for it, and preserving a little piece of Gloucestershire’s food heritage for future generations.

I’ve brought its history, provenance and award-winning journey together here, and I’d love you to have a read:

https://theartisankitchen.co.uk/blaisdon-red-plum/

Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™, made by The Artisan Kitchen since 2013. Discover its Gloucestershire history, remarkable flavour and award record.

25/08/2026

Every August, there’s a point when I know the Blaisdon Reds are nearly ready.

They’re not a fruit I can order whenever I like. They arrive once a year, for a very short window, from Gloucestershire orchards where this wonderful old plum still survives.

And when they come into the kitchen, everything else seems to take second place for a while.

I’ve been preserving Blaisdon Red plums at The Artisan Kitchen since 2013 and they are still one of the fruits I look forward to most. Their colour is extraordinary, but it’s the flavour that really makes them special. Rich, sharp, deeply plummy and absolutely made for preserving.

There’s something I love about the rhythm of making a preserve like this. Waiting for the fruit. Watching the season. Knowing there is only one chance each year to get it right.

So this is the 2026 harvest, cooked in small batches here in Gloucester and now becoming this year’s The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ .

A little piece of Gloucestershire, preserved in a jar.

The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam ™· 2026 Harvest
Preserved by The Artisan Kitchen since 2013
https://theartisankitchen.co.uk/blaisdon-red-plum/