Who are we

Do you like real food that tastes of what it says on the label? So do we. In fact, that’s why The Real Jam and Chutney Co was formed in 2004.

Hazel Southam, one of the company’s founders, had never tasted Raspberry Jam that lived up to that made by her grandmother, Constance Hall. Realising that if she couldn’t find jam of the quality that she’d known as a child, then probably other people couldn’t either, Hazel helped set up the business.

We wanted to bring Constance Hall’s delicious recipes to a wider public who we knew would love them as much as we did. Constance lived in the village of Holmer Green in Buckinghamshire all her life. Born in 1899, she was the second youngest of a large family living on a farm. From an early age she helped around the house. And, when she was married, she started to make preserves to use up the glut of fruit and vegetables grown on their land by her husband, Geoffrey.

Her daughter Mary still remembers coming home from school with her sisters to be given freshly-made Raspberry Jam for tea, with the sun streaming in the windows. ‘It tasted like nectar,’ she said.

Constance’s Raspberry Jam was the first recipe that we used. Now we’ve added many more that come from her kitchen – or that we feel are true to her spirit. One of the latest additions to our range is her Lemon Curd, a real winner with all ages. We still use Constance’s preserving pan and spoon. We make our jellies just as she did to give you the best quality possible and most intense flavour. There are no additives, preservatives, colourings or setting agents in our preserves: just fruit, vegetables, sugar and spices.

We sell to shops in Hampshire and Surrey and can be found at a range of events and farmers’ markets. We were chosen as one of the contributors to Harrods’ Truly British Season in the autumn of 2005, and keep the breakfast tables of the Hotel du Vin (Winchester) well-stocked. In 2006 The Daily Telegraph recognised us as one of Britain's top 10 seasonal producers, since 2007 our preserves are found at the prestigious Lainston House and Four Seasons Hotels in Hampshire.