THE CHEF BEHIND THE ARTISAN KITCHEN
Chef Sarah Churchill
From Michelin-starred kitchens to artisan preserves, every jar is shaped by professional technique, exceptional fruit and a chef’s instinct for flavour.
Chef-trained • Gloucestershire-made • Since 2011 • 210 Great Taste Awards
I’m Sarah Churchill, a professionally trained chef who swapped restaurant service for the craft of artisan preserves. After years working in some of Britain’s most respected kitchens, including the two-Michelin-starred The Square in Mayfair under Philip Howard, I discovered something unexpected.
Preserving fruit combines everything I love about cooking: exceptional ingredients, careful technique and patience. Today every batch is still made in my Gloucestershire kitchen using the same standards I learned in professional kitchens.
From Fine Dining to the Preserve Pan
My culinary career began in some of Britain’s most respected kitchens, where precision and ingredient quality were non-negotiable. That training still shapes every preserve I make today.
Professional Palate
Years in professional kitchens trained my palate to recognise nuance, balance flavour and make careful adjustments batch by batch.
Ingredient Expertise
Great preserves begin with great fruit. The final flavour of our preserves are always defined by the quality of the ingredients
Technical Precision
Temperature, timing and balance are everything in preserving. Technique allows texture, flavour and natural pectin to develop properly.
The Kitchens That Shaped My Craft
From Michelin-starred restaurants to country house hotels and organic food production, each kitchen added something essential to the way I cook and preserve today.
Michelin-Starred Foundations
My culinary career began in some of Britain’s most respected kitchens, where precision and ingredient quality were the foundation of everything. Working alongside chefs such as Philip Howard at The Square in Mayfair shaped my belief that truly exceptional food begins with outstanding ingredients and the technique to honour them.
Country House & Members’ Clubs
Cliveden Hotel, Berkshire
Wentworth Club, Surrey
Oakley Court Hotel, Windsor
London
The Square, Mayfair
The Mirabelle, Mayfair
The R.A.C Club, Pall Mall
Browns Hotel, Mayfair
L’Escargot, Soho
Stephen Bull, Marylebone
Gloucestershire & The Cotswolds
Daylesford Organic
The New Inn, Coln St Aldwyn
Hotel Kandinsky, Cheltenham
Ten Formative Years at Daylesford Organic
I spent ten formative years at Daylesford Organic as a chef, production manager and product developer. It deepened my understanding of ingredients from farm to plate and reinforced my belief that truly great food begins with respect for the raw ingredient.
That grounding in ingredient-led cooking still sits at the heart of The Artisan Kitchen.
The Plum Tree That Started It All
“Seeing beautiful fruit going to waste was impossible to ignore.”
In 2011 a local Mirabelle plum tree heavy with fruit sparked an idea. I asked the owner if I could take some and offered homemade jam in return.
That first batch revealed something special. Preserving fruit allowed me to combine my professional kitchen training with seasonal ingredients and traditional methods. The Artisan Kitchen was born.
Gloucestershire Heritage
Championing Heritage Fruit Since 2011
Since founding The Artisan Kitchen, rare and distinctive British fruit has remained at the heart of my work.
The Blaisdon Red Plum
One of the fruits most closely associated with my work is the Blaisdon Red Plum, a rare Gloucestershire heritage variety that has been part of The Artisan Kitchen’s story since its early years.
In 2013, I made my first commercial batches of The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™. I still make it in small batches in my Gloucester kitchen, using locally grown fruit and sugar and keeping the recipe beautifully simple.
Over more than a decade, The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ has become one of my signature preserves, earning its own remarkable collection of awards from Great Taste, the Golden Forks, Taste of the West and other national food awards.
For me, it represents exactly what preserving should be about: exceptional fruit, a strong sense of place and a flavour worth keeping alive.
Discover The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ story →
Shop The Artisan Kitchen’s Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ →
Recognition Earned in the Jar
Since 2012, The Artisan Kitchen has become one of Britain’s most awarded artisan preserve producers. These milestones reflect a simple commitment: exceptional fruit, traditional methods and professional standards.
Seen on Screen, Recognised in Print
The Artisan Kitchen has been featured through broadcast and press recognition, including James Martin’s Saturday Morning and Nadiya’s British Food Adventure.
What links all of it is the same thing: chef-led flavour, beautifully made preserves, and a genuine respect for craft.
FEATURED IN
Television Feature
Sarah on Nadiya’s British Food Adventure
A proud moment for The Artisan Kitchen, sharing the story of chef-led preserving on screen.
Read more about The Artisan Kitchen on BBC Two’s Nadiya’s British Food Adventure
My Promise in Every Jar
Every jar that leaves The Artisan Kitchen carries my professional reputation. When you choose The Artisan Kitchen, you are choosing preserves created by someone who has dedicated her career to flavour, quality and craftsmanship. Every jar reflects my journey from professional kitchens to artisan preserve making, bringing restaurant-quality standards to your table.
Ready to Taste the Difference Chef Led Preserving Makes?
Explore the award-winning collection and discover preserves shaped by exceptional fruit, traditional methods and a chef’s eye for balance.
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