Producer of the month: December  2020

Cherry Tree Preserves

Cherry Tree was founded in 1997 by Gavin, Sarah and Mark out of a shared love of preserves, high quality ingredients and regional food traditions. Our roots run right from the famous Tree outside Sarah’s cottage, to our HQ in Bridport, Dorset and beyond to our manufacturing base in Somerset. 

Since 1997 it has been our focus to produce the finest chutneys, preserves, curds, marmalades and flavours to excite taste buds everywhere. This has led us to the enviable position of now being the most-awarded preserves brand in the UK, with over 180 Great Taste and Taste of The West awards for our foods, including our founder Gavin winning the coveted Supreme Champion Winner at The Great Taste Awards. 

Having become famous for preserves and chutneys we then turned our well-trained taste-buds into curating the finest foods across several other categories that we love, and that we feel complement our chutneys and preserves nicely. Over time adding a range of delicious cheddar cheese truckles, salad dressings and signature chutney-infused cracker bites. More recently in August 2020 we are introducing to our online store, a range of custom-roasted coffee and savoury scones.  

All our chutneys & preserves are hand-cooked in small batches, using only the best ingredients and following traditional recipes and methods. 

Love British Food chatted to Chris Braitch, Head of Commercial at Cherry Tree Preserves.

How did you get involved in the business? 

I fell in love with Cherry Tree as a customer initially. Like many of its fans I sampled them at a Christmas market, one taste later I bought as much as I could carry, and I’ve never looked back! That was nearly 3 years ago. I worked for big food companies for 17 years prior to Cherry Tree, in sales, marketing and management. But in 2018 I wanted to follow my passion and work with smaller food businesses, particularly in the South and South-West, that were really trying to do something better or differently. Cherry Tree are the most-awarded preserves company in the UK and one of Britain’s most-awarded food companies overall, they are committed to using the best ingredients and they don’t add any rubbish. This really appealed to me and I wanted to work with them to try and take their fantastic foods out to more people across the world. I approached the founder’s Gavin and Mark to offer my support, and we have been working hard together ever since. It’s a fantastic company full of passionate and committed people, our customers are incredibly loyal and passionate as well, so it’s a real joy to be involved. 

Where do you sell your products?

Our foods can be found at hundreds of independent farm shops, cafes, and deli’s nationwide, including the world-famous Partridge’s of London and in Southern Co-Op stores across Dorset. We love our independent customers and support them as much as we can through our network of regional sales teams and franchise partners. 

Our foods can also be found extensively online, with our widest range and some unique gift-packs and selections to be found on our own website at www.cherrytreepreserves.co.uk. Use code WELCOME for your first order over £18, and the delivery will be free to your door! In addition to our own website you can find a small range of our best-selling chutneys and preserves on Ocado and on Amazon.

What is your favourite part of the job?

Handling the messages, recipe ideas and enquiries we get coming through from our social media channels is absolutely amazing. I have never worked at a company that has so many lovely messages and happy customers. We’ve worked really hard on our 3 social channels over the last 18mths and now have a large and engaged audience that loves all the creative recipe inspiration, and ideas for how to make the most from preserves. We have an army of fabulous amateur and professional recipe creators/chefs out there who are sending new ideas and tips every week. For me, seeing the end result of where our foods end up on people’s tables, creating amazing meals and memories, that’s a dream for anyone that works at a food company. 

Your least favourite part?

That’s easy! Knowing how good our food is and how much people love it, and then knowing that barely 1-2% of the UK population will ever eat it! Then multiplying that by all the other wonderful smaller British brands and producers out there. Drives me insane, especially as a food-lover and marketing person at-heart. 

As a small independent brand, you don’t have the marketing budget to reach a broader audience, which is then compounded by the fact that the UK major retailers don’t really take sweet & savoury preserves seriously as a category. They’ve done very little to allow better quality, local or disruptive brands onto the shelves, unlike most other categories in their stores which have been revolutionised in recent years by some wonderful British start-up brands. Until that changes, preserve companies like us will remain small and out of the minds of most of the nation. That’s tough to see! 

Our usual saving-grace is the fabulous tasting sessions within the independent retailers, and the key Christmas and regional food events/markets. But with the cancellation of many of the 2020 food fairs, Christmas markets and events, plus tastings closed due to COVID, it’s a tough time. This is typically our busiest period where we get to sample our foods to tens of thousands of people all over the UK, that’s a lot of happy people and potential new customers for 2021. But it’s also a key revenue stream for our business and for the regional sales teams and franchise partners we’ve worked with for years. We believe we will make up for the lost sales with our strong independent shops & deli’s etc, as they’ll be busier than ever this year, with more people shopping locally, as well as our online store which offers  our full range. 

Why should we buy British produce?

The 3 main reasons for me are quality, community and security. British food quality in most categories is amongst the best in the world. We have great food standards and trade bodies that are working hard are largely effective. Nutrition, safety, traceability, and taste are real assets of British food. From a community perspective British food creates jobs and builds happy communities. I grew-up in East Devon, have lived in rural Berkshire, and Dorset throughout my life and I spend my spare time in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall in the water as a surfer. Farming and fishing were corner stones of everything I knew and loved. Every amazing drive, staycation or UK road-trip is so beautiful because of the patchwork quilt of farms and fields that are managed by British food producers. The thought of that dwindling and dying is unthinkable, so buying British where possible is a way to support communities and the countryside they manage for us so well. Finally, security. The world is more uncertain right now than it ever has been, with Brexit, climate change and COVID to name just a few challenges facing us as humans right now! Knowing that we can produce as much quality food as possible, to be as self-sufficient as our limited landmass allows, will help safeguard our future as best as possible. It’s not an easy task, but everyone can do their bit. 

What is your dinner tonight?

Cottage pie for the kids and I. Always with some good local beef mince, pointed cabbage, broccoli and it just wouldn’t be right without baked beans! I add a big dollop of Cherry Tree hot garlic pickle to my mince & gravy as it’s thickening up, helps it caramelise a bit in the oven and gives it a warming winter kick. That’s made me hungry, is it dinner time yet??....

Your favourite British product or ingredient?

That’s not fair! There’s too many to name. Cherry Tree are genuinely the best all-round foods I’ve ever eaten, out of close to 100 products there isn’t a bad one amongst them. I can’t say that for many other food companies. That’s why I rang the owners and asked for a job here! But if I have to stop being biased, then British cheddar I simply can’t live without. 

Give 4 words you would use to promote British food and drink?

Quality, Taste, Community, Sustainability

Address

The Cherry Tree Ltd

The Old Hemp Store

North Mills

Dorset

DT6 3BE