The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam | Champion 2018
The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam Wins Taste of the West Champion Preserve 2018
The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam Wins Taste of the West Champion Preserve 2018
Another remarkable moment for The Artisan Kitchen’s heritage plum preserves, with Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam taking the Champion Preserve title at the 2018 Taste of the West Awards.
The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam — Taste of the West Champion Preserve 2018.
In 2018, The Artisan Kitchen celebrated another major award for one of its distinctive plum preserves when The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam was named Taste of the West Champion Preserve.
The annual Taste of the West Awards brought together food and drink producers from across the South West, with the ceremony held at the Great Hall at the University of Exeter.
The 2018 awards ceremony was attended by more than 400 people from the region’s food and drink community, celebrating outstanding producers, products and hospitality businesses from across the West Country.
Among the champion products recognised that year was The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam, following its Taste of the West Gold award earlier in the competition.
2018 at a Glance
Product: The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam
Taste of the West: Champion Preserve 2018
Taste of the West: Gold
Awards ceremony: The Great Hall, University of Exeter
Celebrating an Old-Fashioned Plum
Early Rivers Prolific is an old plum variety with a wonderful balance of sweetness and acidity, making it particularly well suited to traditional preserve making.
At The Artisan Kitchen, the fruit is allowed to remain the focus of the finished preserve, creating a richly flavoured plum jam with the character of the variety clearly at its heart.
The Champion Preserve award was recognition not only of the finished jar, but of the value of preserving distinctive fruit varieties and allowing their individual flavour to shine.
The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam, winner of Taste of the West Champion Preserve 2018.
Two Champion Plum Preserves in Two Years
The 2018 win followed another important Taste of the West success for The Artisan Kitchen the previous year.
In 2017, The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ had been named Taste of the West Champion Sweet Preserves, before Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam took the Champion Preserve title in 2018.
Two champion titles in successive years, each for a different plum preserve, reflected something that had become increasingly central to The Artisan Kitchen: seeking out distinctive fruit varieties and preserving them in a way that celebrates their individual character.
A Continuing Love of Heritage Plum Varieties
Plum preserves have long formed an important part of The Artisan Kitchen range, particularly those made from less familiar and traditionally grown varieties.
Early Rivers Prolific sits naturally alongside other distinctive plum preserves made by The Artisan Kitchen, including The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™, damson jams and other seasonal varieties sourced when the fruit is at its best.
The 2018 Champion Preserve award remains a lovely piece of that continuing story.
Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam
The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam continues to be made as part of our collection of distinctive fruit preserves.
Source & Archive Notes
Product: The Artisan Kitchen Early Rivers Prolific Plum Jam
Recognition: Taste of the West Champion Preserve 2018
Additional award: Taste of the West Gold 2018
Awards ceremony: The Great Hall, University of Exeter
Previous Champion: The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ — Taste of the West Champion Sweet Preserves 2017
Archive & article: Sarah Churchill, The Artisan Kitchen
Related from The Artisan Kitchen
The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ — Taste of the West Champion 2017
The Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam™ — History, Provenance & Awards
Written and curated by Sarah Churchill, chef-owner and producer at The Artisan Kitchen, Gloucester.
This article forms part of The Artisan Kitchen archive documenting its award-winning preserves, heritage fruit and independent food awards.
