Sweet taste of success for Powys preserves company

Radnor Preserves is expanding, picking up numerous awards and securing export deals throughout Asia.

The artisan preserves company has been honoured in the Great British Food Awards 2020 for their hand-cut lime and laver marmalade. It received the overall winner of the Sweet Preserve Category, judged by food writer and influencer Rosie Birkett, who said: “I love the unexpected combination of laver and lime in this beautifully zesty marmalade. The laver brings a beautifully saline, umami note which works in contrast with the sweet, zingy lime. Delicious on generously buttered toast.”

The Great British Food Awards showcases the finest artisan food and drink from across Britain and are judged by a panel of celebrity judges, including the Hairy Bikers, Michel Roux Jr, William Sitwell and Raymond Blanc.

The hand-cut lime and laver marmalade sources its dried laver seaweed from the Pembrokeshire Beach Company and was created in 2018 to celebrate the ‘Year of the Sea’. This Great British Food Awards winner also received a Gold Medal at the World Marmalade Awards in 2018.

In further exciting news for the company, the marmalade is among eight flavours that will be launched in the United Arab Emirates at 17 Spinneys stores next month. It joins several other products including their orange and date marmalade, Radnor three fruit marmalade and blackberry and cracked black pepper preserve.

In September, Radnor Preserves also exported two pallets of preserves and marmalades to Macau for a new food hall launching there in 2021.

To keep up with demand, the Caersws-based business has recently moved to larger premises in Newtown.

The company, founded by Joanna Morgan in 2010, started making jams and marmalades when she lived in a cottage with no electricity. Such was the subsequent demand to buy her products, she trialled them at local farmers’ markets with great success and now has a reputation for producing exceptional innovative marmalades.

Joanna has an all-female team who make each product by hand. All marmalade peel is hand-cut to give a superior flavour and all products are gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Joanna said: “We’re thrilled to receive these overseas contracts for Spinneys in the Middle East and for the new Food Hall in Macau. It is a fantastic boost of confidence for us.

“We’re excited too to move to new premises in order to meet demands of production, and really delighted to win the preserve category at the Great British Food Awards. Many customers have written to us to say that our preserves have been a highlight during lockdown and the only thing keeping them going which is the greatest praise of all.”

Earlier in the year, the company won another Gold Medal at the World Marmalade Awards 2020, one of the marmalade world’s most prestigious accolades, for its Smoky Bourbon Marmalade, scoring 20 out of 20. They also won a 2020 Great Taste Award for its apricot conserve, part of a new range of products that will launch next year.

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said: “I would like to congratulate Radnor Preserves on all their achievements this year. They are a company who should be very proud of themselves and an excellent example of the drive and determination they’ve shown.

“It shows that Welsh food and drink businesses can continue to thrive in these challenging times, and we are here to help in any way we can.”

Radnor Preserves supports local food banks and this year is pleased to be supporting the Marmalade Trust who combat loneliness with gifts of marmalade to their Christmas hampers.

For more information and a selection of products available, visit the website at www.radnorpreserves.com.