Rosebud Preserves

A Short History

The Rosebud story tells of how a rural upbringing and a passionate interest in the unfolding seasons translated into a successful preserve-manufacturing business which has sold jams, jellies, marmalades, lemon curd, mincemeat, chutneys, pickles, relishes and mustard throughout Britain and the USA since 1989.

Elspeth Biltoft, our founder, was born near Richmond, Swaledale in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. It was in this beautiful environment that, as a child, she was introduced to the secrets of the countryside by her father, a keen walker, naturalist and angler. On their shared walks they would gather watercress from a secluded stream in late January, birds' eggs in the summer months and pounds of mushrooms in the autumn.

Elspeth's mother taught her to appreciate the value of these wild ingredients as well as the garden fruits and vegetables they grew at home. By preparing preserves together they were able to enjoy these seasonal treasures throughout the year, using Bramble Jam on toast and Piccalilli in their sandwiches.

By the early 1980s Elspeth was honing her skills by making preserves for her own family, faithfully following the eight traditional family recipes that had been handed down to her by her mother; all the while scouring books and collecting local information to enable her to take best advantage of the natural ingredients surrounding her home in the village of Healey, near Masham in North Yorkshire.

In the spring of 1989 Elspeth cooked the first small batches of jams and chutneys in her farm kitchen and offered them for sale at local agricultural shows and craft fairs, naming them Rosebud Preserves after her family farm. Over time, as their popularity grew, she converted the adjoining barns to frozen, chilled and ambient stores and the old cow byre became a state of the art kitchen.

During the last twenty years Rosebud Preserves has become a celebrated and critically-acclaimed part of the revival of English cuisine; they are much appreciated by those in the know throughout Great Britain, the USA and beyond.