London success for Northern Irish jams and sauces

Brambleberry Jams in Northern Ireland, a craft specialist in quality jams, sauces and relishes, has won business in London with a leading independent retailer.

The Northern Irish family business is supplying a new raspberry jam with gin from Copeland Gins, along with its award-winning sea salted caramel to Dugard and Daughters.

Alice McIlhagger, who established the small company in June 2013, has recently featured on BBC TV's popular 'Top of the Shop' series with chef Tom Kerridge.

Mrs McIlhagger creates the original recipes and uses quality produce, mostly from her own garden, in her successful range of products now widely sold throughout Northern Ireland and used by other artisan producers especially Glastry Farm Ice Cream for its sea salted caramel and lemon meringue ice creams.

The outstanding quality and taste of her products have been recognised in a string of national food awards. She has gained prestigious UK Great Taste and Irish National Food awards for her sea salted caramel sauce. Other jams and sauces have also won Great Taste Awards.

The range includes raspberry and prosecco, rhubarb and orange, and summer mixed berry jams, as well as savoury bramble jelly, roast tomato relish, red onion jam with organic balsamic vinegar, sea salted sweet chilli sauce with lime.

Mrs McIlhagger, commenting on the business with Dugard and Daughters in London, says: "I met the company during a mission organised by my local Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and was really delighted when they placed an order for two of my products after sampling them during the meeting.

"I believe they will be a good fit for my craft business because of their commitment to quality products from artisan producers. The independent retailer has two successful and widely respected shops in London stocking premium meats and a range of artisan foods."

Dugard and Daughters is a family run butcher and larder business in Herne Hill, South London.

The business has a longstanding reputation as a passionate producer of the highest quality local food. It's an independent retailer focused on great meat and sustainable produce.