The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ Named Among the Great Taste Top 50 Foods

In 2014, The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ received a coveted three-star Great Taste Award and was named among the Great Taste Top 50 Foods.

The jam went on to become a finalist for the Great Taste Supreme Champion, placing Sarah Churchill’s small-batch Gloucestershire preserve among the most exceptional food products entered that year.

Made with rare Blaisdon Red plums grown in Gloucestershire, the award brought enormous pride to Sarah’s young preserve kitchen. It was national recognition for a local fruit, a simple recipe and a jam first produced commercially by The Artisan Kitchen in 2013.

Quick Answer

In 2014, The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ received three stars at the Great Taste Awards, was selected as one of the Great Taste Top 50 Foods and became a finalist for Supreme Champion. These honours were awarded to Sarah Churchill’s own preserve, commercially produced by The Artisan Kitchen since 2013.

A Heritage Plum Made to Be Preserved

The character of Sarah’s jam begins with the fruit itself. Blaisdon Red is a rare Gloucestershire heritage plum prized for its vivid colour, lively acidity and wonderfully concentrated flavour when cooked.

Sarah makes The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ in small batches using fruit gathered by hand from private Gloucestershire orchards. The recipe uses the plums and sugar, allowing the fruit’s natural personality to lead every jar.

The result is a deeply coloured, fruit-rich preserve with a generous texture and a bright edge of plum acidity. It is this balance—not sweetness alone—that first caught the attention of the Great Taste judges.

The Story of the Blaisdon Red Plum

Blaisdon Red plums were once a familiar sight in Gloucestershire’s orchards. During the fruit’s commercial heyday, growers supplied local jam makers, including the Sullivans jam factory at Guiting Power.

At harvest time, factory vans travelled between orchards collecting plums valued for their natural pectin, rich colour and suitability for preserving.

As commercial production declined, fewer trees were replanted. Orchards disappeared, the old factory closed and the Blaisdon Red became increasingly rare. What had once been a valued local preserving fruit came close to being forgotten.

You can explore the fruit’s fuller story on Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™: History, Gloucestershire Provenance and Awards.

Helping Preserve Gloucestershire’s Orchard Heritage

The Artisan Kitchen has worked with the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust to help locate surviving Blaisdon Red trees and bring greater attention to this remarkable local fruit.

Through the jam, a plum that had largely disappeared from public view found a new audience in Gloucestershire and beyond. Each jar became a delicious way to share the story of the fruit and the traditional orchards in which it survives.

What the Great Taste Judges Said

The judges celebrated the colour, fruit flavour, balance and craftsmanship of The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™.

“A deep ruby colour and inviting aroma. This jam delivers bold, dark fruit flavours balanced by gentle tartness.”

“It’s refreshing to taste a jam where the fruit shines—not the sugar.”

“A simple, traditional jam that’s been expertly made. Just like Mum’s—but better!”

“Great texture and balance. A classic done exceptionally well.”

What It Means to Be a Great Taste Top 50 Food

More than 10,000 products were entered into the Great Taste Awards in 2014. Of those, only 153 achieved the coveted three-star rating.

From that exceptional group, just 50 products were selected for the Great Taste Top 50 Foods. The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ was one of them.

Three-star products must impress every judge at the tasting table. Top 50 Foods are then selected for further scrutiny, with only the most memorable products progressing towards consideration for the Great Taste Supreme Champion.

Sarah’s jam stood out for its depth, texture, balance and unmistakable expression of real fruit. Its place among the Top 50 belonged to the particular preserve created and handmade by The Artisan Kitchen.

The Beginning of an Extraordinary Award Story

The 2014 recognition marked an important early chapter, but it was not the end of the story. The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ went on to receive further three-star Great Taste Awards and, in 2022, won the Golden Fork for the South West.

Across the years, each accolade has recognised Sarah’s own recipe and the jam handmade in The Artisan Kitchen’s Gloucester kitchen. Together, they have made it one of The Artisan Kitchen’s most celebrated preserves.

Explore the complete record on The Artisan Kitchen Awards page.

The award-winning original from The Artisan Kitchen

Sarah Churchill first produced Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ commercially in 2013. The awards described on this page celebrate The Artisan Kitchen’s particular preserve—its fruit, recipe, flavour and small-batch craftsmanship.

Taste The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™

The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ is produced in limited seasonal batches using rare Gloucestershire fruit. Its rich plum flavour makes it wonderful on hot buttered toast, warm scones and fresh bread, as well as alongside mature cheese.

Shop The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ directly from its original commercial producer.

Written by Sarah Churchill

Sarah is the chef and founder of The Artisan Kitchen. She created The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ and has produced it commercially in Gloucester since 2013.