The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam ™ Gloucestershire’s Remarkable Heritage Preserve

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Gloucestershire’s Blaisdon Plum Orchards

The Severn Vale has long been recognised as one of England’s historic orchard regions. Its fertile soils and sheltered climate allowed growers to cultivate a wide range of fruit trees across the countryside around Gloucester and the Forest of Dean.

Plums played an important role in the rural economy. Farmers often grew them specifically for cooking and preserving rather than eating fresh. Blaisdon Red became particularly valued because it produced generous crops and fruit with excellent preserving qualities.

The fruit generally ripens in early to mid-August. The harvest arrives quickly, and growers must gather the crop before the ripe fruit softens or falls. Historically, this brief season created a flurry of activity across the local orchards.

People, Orchards and Shared Memories

Over the years, working with Blaisdon Red has introduced me to growers, orchard enthusiasts, photographers and local people who have helped preserve the story of this remarkable Gloucestershire fruit.

One of those people was the late photographer and writer Gloria Nicol, whom I first met in a Blaisdon orchard. We talked about the plum, its history and the landscape in which this old variety had survived. Her photography beautifully documented rural life, traditional skills and the relationship between people and the countryside.

Those encounters matter to me because Blaisdon Red is more than an ingredient. Its survival belongs to a wider story of growers, orchard keepers, cooks, researchers, photographers and local people who have continued to notice and value it.

Photograph by Gloria Nicol · © Gloria Nicol Archive

Blaisdon in the Wartime Records, 1918

The Jam Factory That Helped Make Blaisdon Famous

An important part of the Blaisdon Red Plum story is its connection to Gloucestershire’s preserving trade. Growers sent significant quantities of the fruit to Sullivan’s Jam Factory at Guiting Power in the Cotswolds.

The factory bought fruit from orchards across the region and transformed it into preserves for wider distribution. During harvest, vehicles travelled between orchards collecting fruit. Blaisdon Red became especially valued for its acidity, concentrated flavour and rich colour.

Today, The Artisan Kitchen continues Gloucestershire’s commercial preserving tradition on an artisan scale. For me, the fruit is never simply an ingredient. It carries the character of the local orchards, the short August harvest and the generations of growers who kept the variety alive.

Why Blaisdon Red Plums Make an Exceptional Jam and Preserve

Not all plums behave well in the preserving pan. Some lose colour; others become watery or disappear into sweetness. Blaisdon Red behaves very differently.

When gently cooked with sugar, its golden flesh develops a rich crimson colour and its flavour becomes deeper and rounder. Natural acidity balances the sugar, while concentrated fruit flavour gives the finished preserve real depth and freshness.

After making jam from dozens of plum varieties, I still return to Blaisdon Red. The fruit develops extraordinary richness during cooking while retaining an acidity many sweeter dessert plums lack.

That balance is one of the reasons The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ became a signature preserve and why this specific product has received sustained independent recognition for more than a decade.

The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™

I make Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ in small batches using Gloucestershire-grown fruit, sugar and no added pectin. The recipe remains deliberately simple because the character of the plum should define the jar.

The finished jam has a deep ruby colour, a soft fruit-rich texture and a vivid balance of ripe plum and natural acidity. It is rich without becoming heavy and sweet without losing the identity of the fruit.

Whether described as Blaisdon Red Plum Jam or a Blaisdon Red Plum preserve, its defining qualities remain the same: rare local fruit, deep ruby colour, concentrated plum flavour and a beautifully fresh finish.

This is not a recently discovered ingredient or a passing seasonal edition for The Artisan Kitchen. It has been part of my professional preserving work since 2013 and has become one of the jars most closely associated with my name and kitchen.

What the Great Taste Judges Said

Over the years, The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ has been tasted repeatedly by independent Great Taste judging panels. Their feedback consistently identifies the qualities that first drew me to the fruit: deep colour, vivid plum flavour, natural acidity and a finish in which the fruit—not the sugar—takes centre stage.

Colour, Texture & Appearance

Judges have praised its beautiful deep colour, glossy finish and generous texture. The fruit remains present throughout the preserve, producing a jar that looks as richly fruited as it tastes.

Flavour, Balance & Freshness

One panel observed that the fruit “takes centre stage and sings instead of the sugar,” reflecting the naturally bold flavour of the Blaisdon plum.

Other judges have described the preserve as faultless, praising its plummy aroma, lively acidity, clarity of flavour and the way the fruit remains unmistakable throughout the jar.

One group summed it up simply: “Gorgeous—wonderful colour, wonderful flavour and a great heritage story.”

A Jam With a Sense of Memory

For some tasters, the jam also evoked nostalgia. One panel described it as “the plum jam of our childhood,” noting the delicate handling of the fruit and the freshness of its flavour.

What Do Blaisdon Red Plums Taste Like?

Fresh Blaisdon Red plums have soft golden flesh, rich plum flavour and gentle tartness. When cooked, their flavour becomes deeper, darker and more aromatic.

Unlike sweeter dessert plums, Blaisdon Red retains enough acidity to remain vivid in a finished preserve. The flavour remains recognisably plum rather than disappearing into sweetness.

That combination of concentrated flavour and natural freshness makes it particularly rewarding in jam, baking, pastry and alongside cheese.

Why I Still Get Excited Every August

Blaisdon Red plums ripen in early to mid-August. The harvest window is short and intense, and growers must gather the fruit quickly before it softens or falls.

Because the crop arrives almost at once, preserving is a natural way to carry its flavour beyond the brief harvest.

There is no endless supply and no second chance several months later. When the plums arrive, I know I am working with a fleeting moment in Gloucestershire’s growing year. That makes every batch feel significant.

The Decline of the Blaisdon Red Plum

Despite its remarkable qualities, Blaisdon Red almost disappeared during the twentieth century. Jam factories closed, imported fruit became cheaper and many traditional orchards were removed.

Today, the fruit remains rare and survives through the work of orchard organisations, growers and people who continue to value it in the kitchen. It is recognised by Slow Food UK’s Ark of Taste as an endangered heritage food.

Blaisdons  August 2013 © Sarah Churchill / The Artisan Kitchen

The Artisan Kitchen: Championing Blaisdon Red Since 2013

The Artisan Kitchen has commercially preserved Blaisdon Red plums since 2013, making this rare Gloucestershire fruit one of the defining elements of the business.

Over more than a decade, Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ has become closely associated with my kitchen, my work as a preserve maker and The Artisan Kitchen’s commitment to seasonal Gloucestershire fruit.

Each batch is still handmade in Gloucester using locally grown fruit, traditional small-batch methods and the chef-led judgement that has shaped The Artisan Kitchen since its foundation in 2011.

Explore the Complete Blaisdon Red Plum Jam Story

Frequently Asked Questions About Blaisdon Red Plums

Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ is a trade mark of Sarah Churchill, trading as The Artisan Kitchen.