Rivers Early Prolific Plum Jam Crowned Champion Sweet Preserve

Taste of the West 2015 celebrates a Gloucestershire plum jam with the region’s highest preserve award.

The Taste of the West Champion Awards 2015 took place at Somerset County Cricket Ground in Taunton on Monday 28 September. The evening began with a lively drinks reception that brought together producers, retailers, chefs and food writers from across the South West.

Guests shared stories and celebrated the region’s vibrant food community before sitting down to a beautiful three-course lunch. Each dish showcased ingredients from the year’s finest award-winning producers.

Our own Rivers Early Prolific Plum Jam appeared on the menu that day. The kitchen team created a rich plum sauce that paired perfectly with duck for the main course. Seeing our jam used in such a prestigious setting was an unforgettable moment.

A proud moment for a small Gloucester kitchen

We were delighted simply to reach the finals in the Sweet Preserve category. When our name was announced as Champion Sweet Preserve 2015, the room erupted in applause.

For our small Gloucester kitchen, the recognition felt extraordinary. The award celebrated the flavour, care and patience behind every jar we produce.

Each batch begins with locally grown Gloucestershire fruit and develops slowly through careful small-batch cooking. The result is a jam with deep fruit flavour and a beautifully balanced sweetness.

About Taste of the West

Taste of the West champions excellence across South West England’s food and drink industry. Every year its judges assess thousands of products, focusing on flavour, quality and provenance.

Packaging and branding play no part in the judging process. Instead, the panel evaluates each product purely on taste and authenticity.

Winning a Champion title represents the highest level of achievement in the competition. It recognises products that stand out for craftsmanship, creativity and outstanding flavour.

Celebrating the taste of Gloucestershire fruit

For The Artisan Kitchen, this award remains one of the proudest moments in our preserving journey. It reflects the passion that goes into every batch of fruit cooked in our kitchen.

Explore more of our award-winning preserves and discover the flavours that make small-batch preserving so special.