With an award-winning young Cumbrian chef at the helm, one artisan preserve and chutney business has beaten the odds to rapidly expand its customer base and treble sales during the pandemic – with retailers as far afield as London and Edinburgh now stocking the distinctly Cumbrian products.

‘Wild and Fruitful’ preserves produce a wide range of handmade jams and marmalades, chutneys, relishes and curds from a small manufacturing base in Maryport. All are cooked in open pans, with the majority of ingredients sourced from local growers including Damsons from the Lyth Valley, strawberries from Cochranes Nurseries from Longtown and a variety of fruit and vegetables from The Walled Garden at The Lingholm Estate.

FOOD: Cumbrian Lamb Stew, with Wild and Fruitful Cumberland chutney

FOOD: Cumbrian Lamb Stew, with Wild and Fruitful Cumberland chutney

It’s exactly 12 months since Keswick businessman David Seymour teamed up with 24 year old local chef Jake Winter to take over Wild and Fruitful. In that time, they have invested heavily in new equipment to refit the company’s Cumbrian manufacturing base, revamp the product range and rebrand the business to reach new audiences.

David says, “It’s certainly been a very challenging time to take over and develop a business, but we used the first national lockdown to plan, brand and get ready for this expansion. We also have an immense talent in Jake, who has a very mature head on his shoulders for his age and has been instrumental in helping us make the most of the fantastic produce we have here in Cumbria.

“Despite the pandemic, Wild and Fruitful’s customer base has trebled in just 12 months and now includes village stores, food delis and specialist cheese and farm shops across Cumbria. We also have exciting new collaborations with drinks manufacturers including The Lakes Distillery and Keswick Brewery.

GROW: Jake Winter, growing ingredients in the Victorian Walled Garden, Lingholm Estate

GROW: Jake Winter, growing ingredients in the Victorian Walled Garden, Lingholm Estate

“As well as establishing a lot of new retailers locally, we’ve recently expanded out of the county and have stockists from as far south as London and as far north as Edinburgh. When normal times return, we have plans to expand again and are already engaging with hotels and tourism businesses as they look to reopen and navigate out of the current situation over the summer months.”

Chef and passionate Cumbrian foodie Jake Winter adds, “It’s been fantastic to be part of this rapidly growing business, at a time when we’ve all had to adapt and find new ways of doing things. At its heart, the strength of Wild and Fruitful is the quality of the ingredients and the fact that everything we produce is genuinely handmade, using the traditional open pan method.

“We make everything in small batches and it’s all 100% natural; this really seems to resonate with health-conscious customers who want to avoid all the additives and artificial colours that many of the supermarket brands have.”

For more information about Wild and Fruitful’s rebirth visit: www.wildandfruitful.co.uk