JIM JAM wins Great Taste 2022 Award.

Suffolk-based artisanal enterprise, ART’s – Craft Kitchen, has been named among the top food and drink producers globally this year, picking up a highly prized 1-star Great Taste award for its “Jim Jam”. 

More than 14,000 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process; and one of ART’s – Craft Kitchen’s creations was dubbed an “original and innovative jam which is interesting and as far as we know, unique.” at the world’s most coveted food and drink awards. 4,078 products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star – ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’, 1,237 were awarded a Great Taste 2-star – ‘above and beyond delicious’, and 241 were awarded a Great Taste 3-star – ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink’.

Described as “A clever concept”, this “intriguing while simple product” was a big hit with the Great Taste judges.

Made with bananas, granulated sugar, lemon juice and orange juice and hand-crafted in small artisanal batches in Alice Talbot’s home kitchen in Lowestoft, Jim Jam was one of 5,556 products to receive a Great Taste award in 2022 (which is only 39.1% of the total products entered). 

What is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind-tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

This year, the judging took place over 90 days across two judging locations (Dorset and London) with a panel of more than 500 judges. This year’s line-up saw food and drink products submitted from a staggering 110 different countries from across the world. 

Alice Rebecca Talbot owner of ART’s – Craft kitchen comments: “I am delighted to have won a Great Taste award for my Jim Jam. I have dreamt of this moment and am so proud to be adding the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo to my fabulous, fun jam which I created with the intention for it to be a fruity favourite across the generations.

“ART’s – Craft Kitchen, established only 15 months ago, was born out of my passion for cooking and the desire to create my own unique business. My intention is to work with an inspired, experimental and artisanal approach in order to create bespoke products and showcase my creative skills in the kitchen, so to be where I am today is just wonderful.

“Being recognised with a Great Taste 1-star means so much to independent producers such as myself, as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it! Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink world, so it really is a big win!” Alice Talbot concludes.

Jim Jam is sweet, homely, and comforting, and makes the perfect sandwich filling or can double as a topping for treats such as pancakes and waffles. Alternatively, mix two tablespoons of Jim Jam with 1/3 pint of milk for a tasty milk-shake.

Jim Jam is currently available direct from ART’s and at select Community Fayres and Farmers’ Markets. RRP: £5 (226g) 

A young artisan admitted she "truly was in Wonderland" after winning a coveted prize at an inaugural festival.

 Alice Rebecca Talbot, from Kirkley, was crowned the overall winner of the prestigious World Jam Festival 2022 - just a year after unveiling her artisanal luxury jam and chutney making business. The young entrepreneur triumphed at the inaugural World Jam Festival, which was held last month in the famously picturesque village of Helmsley, North Yorkshire. The festival, accompanied by an Alice in Wonderland theme, attracted international participants, including entrants from Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

 Passionate about cooking, and after completing Sixth Form education in 2020, Alice launched the artisanal enterprise to stir up new age interest in jams and chutneys. She founded the home-based artisan business ART's - Craft Kitchen in April 2021, to highlight hand-crafted home cooking after developing it from her north Suffolk home during 2020. The ART’s – Craft Kitchen business showcases small-batch preserves and conserves that have been made to Alice's own secret and highly imaginative recipes. 

At the festival ART’s – Craft Kitchen won awards for three of the flavours Alice submitted: silver for her Jolly Jam (strawberry and raspberry), gold for her Merry Berry Jam (blackberry, blueberry and raspberry), which was also placed first in the '20 Years and Under' category, and gold for her Bananaruma (banana and rum jam), which was given the accolade of Best in Show. 

And to top it all, Alice was then crowned overall winner of the competition. Ms Talbot said: “It was a glorious day, and I received a very warm welcome from everyone. "I was invited to stand with my stall and I was able to meet fellow jam enthusiasts. "I had a brilliant day of sales, plus lots of interest and positive feedback.” A highlight of Alice’s visit was a meeting with the Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern, owner of The Star at Harome, who judged Bananaruma to be Best in Sho

Culinary creative, Alice Talbot, owner of ART’s-Craft Kitchen, is no stranger to bespoke commissions and taste challenges posed by her customers. However, the young entrepreneur has begun 2022 with absolute proof of her determination to build upon her growing reputation for producing top-quality flavours preserved in jars, cooked in small batches for niche markets. “Taste and flavour for the enjoyment of discerning palates.”

The member of a Southwold choir, Alice was bid “Good Night” after practice on Monday 10 January by one member who asked if she sold Tayberry jam. She had to admit that she didn’t, but when she heard that it was the gentleman’s wife’s favourite, Alice was inspired to see what she could do.

Tayberries are the large, sweet fruits of a shrub patented in 1979 as a cross between a blackberry and a red raspberry and named after the River Tay in Scotland.

Alice travelled to Scotland, overnight on Tuesday, sourced berries from a specialist fruit farm on Wednesday and, having journeyed back home on Thursday, cooked the jam on Friday. At the following choir practice, on Monday 17 January, Alice was able to present jars of fresh Tayberry Jam – much to the surprise and delight of all concerned.

Alice admits, “The timing was perfect. I was scheduled to make the journey with my family anyway, to take my sister back to university in St. Andrews. However, I was determined not to let the opportunity pass.” She explains, “I visited a specialist fruit farm I know in Fife to see if they had frozen any of last year’s crop of Tayberries and they had. It has been my intention to incorporate Scottish fruits into my recipes for a Scottish Specialities Range for a while, but I was anticipating it would be a project to coincide with harvest-time. However, this initiative has started the process earlier than planned and I am extremely pleased with the results. Berries freeze very well, and these were superb examples; big and tangy!”

Alice, who has lots of exciting new ventures expected for 2022, will be working hard on developing her Scottish Specialities Range, so keep an eye on her website artscraftkitchen.co.uk for news and updates.

Young entrepreneur Alice Rebecca Talbot, from Kirkley in Suffolk, is stirring up new age interest in jams and chutneys.

She is the owner of ART’s – Craft Kitchen, a home-based artisan business she launched in April 2021, making small-batch preserves and conserves to her own secret and highly imaginative recipes. Inspired by seasonal produce and influenced by her knowledge of clever food and drinks pairings, Alice has been setting taste buds a-tingle throughout the summer. She has won commendation from experts in the food industry who are impressed with her maturity and creativity.

Her Allotment Chutney is deemed prize-winning and her Seaside Salsa, created specially to accompany fish and chips or barbequed fish, is superb; her Southwold Sandfire (yes, Sandfire, not samphire – see Alice’s website blog for background) was specially commissioned by a local retail outlet and is ideal for holiday makers and souvenir-buying tourists. Alice shares insight and inspiration, as well as recipes, on her website artscraftkitchen.co.uk.

Alice was a pupil at St Felix School, Southwold, throughout her schooling, and completed sixth form education during Covid 19 lockdown in 2020. Always drawn to the prospect of combining food with business, she set about formulating her enterprise during times of restriction. With a life-long insight into the subtleties of taste and the alchemy of flavours (gleaned from her father who works for Adnams in Southwold), Alice applies a fresh approach to the concept of conserves and preserves which seems to come naturally to her. She writes in her website profile: “As an artist combines colours on a palette to generate new hues, so I look at the relationship between flavours and combine them to create bespoke recipes.”

New flavours for autumn have just been launched, including Jim Jam, a “divine” banana jam, and Plum Bob, (“pure plum!”), with one or two treats for Christmas on their way, too. Her full product range is viewable on her website, but selected flavours can be purchased at premium outlets such as Slate (Cheese & Provisions) and Jakery Bakery, both in Southwold. Alice occasionally stands at Beccles’ farmers’ markets and regional food & craft fairs. She has also taken a stall at St Felix School Christmas Fayre on Saturday 4th December.

Alice is rooted to place, and her pride in being located on the most easterly coast of Britain is obvious. She supports local produce growers and producers wherever possible and encourages people to become an ART’s Chutney Chum, sharing news of new flavour releases, special offers and feedback. Alice is also able to accept special commissions for dietary needs, flavour preferences and bespoke or special occasion consignments, such as wedding favours, all by private arrangement.

Please see artscraftkitchen.co.uk or message Alice at info@artscraftkitchen.co.uk for further details.