Handmade jam and curd, cooked in an open pan in small batches
This is the sweet shelf, the one that makes toast worth getting up for. Our handmade jam in the UK is cooked open-pan in small batches at The Old Rectory, using seasonal fruit and just enough time in the pan to get a proper set without boiling the flavour away. If you want to buy jam online in the UK and taste fruit rather than sugar, this collection is where to begin.
The classics are all here. A bright strawberry jam, a sharp raspberry jam, and a deep, slightly tart damson jam for those who like character in their preserves. We make a rhubarb and ginger jam with a gentle warmth, a rich blackcurrant jam, and a smooth, properly zingy lemon curd that disappears alarmingly fast. For something different, our cherry jam with amaretto has a grown-up almond note worth seeking out.
We also keep a foot in the sweet-savoury camp with a chilli jam, the kind that turns cheese on toast into something special and works as a glaze or a dip. It is a useful bridge between this shelf and our savoury chutneys and pickles, and a favourite with anyone who likes a little heat.
Beyond the toast rack
Jam earns its place far beyond breakfast. Fold it through a sponge, swirl it into yoghurt or porridge, spoon it over ice cream, or use lemon curd to fill a tart. For the morning table, our zesty marmalades sit naturally alongside these jams, and a jar of our raw Wiltshire honey completes the spread. If you are buying for someone else, the 42g mini jars let them taste a few before choosing.
Not sure which jam to pick? Our best-selling preserves and award-winning collection point to the jars our customers reorder and the recipes judged best on flavour, several of which are multiple award winners. A mixed jam selection also makes an easy gift set for any occasion.
Good jam starts with good fruit at the right moment, so much of this shelf follows the seasons: soft summer berries, autumn damsons, forced spring rhubarb. Cooking open-pan in small batches lets us catch each fruit at its best and set it without boiling away the flavour, which is the difference you taste against a mass-produced jar. It is the same kitchen, the same hands and the same five-out-of-five food hygiene rating behind every recipe, whether it is a classic strawberry or our amaretto cherry.
To keep your jam at its best, store unopened jars in a cool, dark cupboard and refrigerate once opened, using a clean spoon each time. A good homemade set can firm in the fridge, which is a sign of fruit and patience rather than a fault, and it loosens again at room temperature.
Much of this collection follows the calendar, because the best jam is made when the fruit is at its peak rather than whenever it is convenient. Strawberries and raspberries belong to high summer, blackcurrants and cherries follow close behind, damsons mark the turn into autumn, and rhubarb bridges the late winter and spring.
Cooking each in small open pans, at the right moment, is what lets the fruit keep its colour and its flavour instead of being boiled into anonymity. The result is a spectrum that runs from the bright and summery to the deep and tart, with the lemon curd offering something altogether different: smooth, rich and sharp, made the proper way with butter and egg.
Use the sharper jams in baking, where their acidity cuts through sweet sponge and pastry; keep the softer-set jams for toast, scones and crumpets; and treat the curd as a shortcut to a lemon tart or a filling for a Victoria sandwich. The chilli jam, meanwhile, quietly crosses the line into savoury whenever cheese is involved.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between jam and curd?
Jam is made from cooked fruit and sugar, while curd like our lemon curd is a smooth, creamy preserve enriched with butter and egg.
Do your jams contain a lot of sugar?
We cook open-pan in small batches to set the fruit with just enough sugar, so the fruit flavour leads rather than the sweetness.
What is chilli jam used for?
Chilli jam is excellent with cheese, as a glaze for meat, or as a dip, bridging sweet and savoury flavours.
Which jam is best for baking?
Sharper jams such as raspberry or damson hold up well in sponges and tarts, while lemon curd is ideal for filling.
