Bumblee's Preserves

Bumblee's Preserves is made by Francine - Bumblee is her childhood nickname - from a kitchen at Creech Paper Mill in Creech St Michael, near Taunton. It is a genuinely small operation: everything is made by hand in small batches rather than in a factory, using home-grown and locally sourced fruit and veg wherever it can be found, and recipes that mix old family methods with newer ideas Francine has developed herself.

The range runs from classic jams like wild blackberry and apple through to marmalades such as lemon and lime, chutneys including apple and Somerset cider or whortleberry, and a chilli-focused line of jams, sauces and oils for anyone who wants heat alongside sweetness. There are also vinegars, shrubs, flavoured salts and dressings, plus seasonal gift boxes around Christmas and other occasions. Preserves are sold direct from Francine and through stockists including Noah's Ark Farm Shop and Monkton Elm Garden Centre near Taunton, and she also takes wholesale enquiries from shops wanting to stock the range.