Alison’s Homemade

Monday, December 14th, 2015

Meet Alison from Alison’s Homemade, local producer of delicious jams, cakes, chutneys, flapjacks, fruit cordials and more! Alison has been supplying The Hollies for 8 years and makes about 120 cakes and 20-25kg of jam per week! After working in consultancy, training and computing for many years in fast paced, large companies, (including working for Lord Sugar) Alison felt like she needed to get out of that industry, and embark upon something more productive and enjoyable. 14 years ago, from her house in Winterley near Sandbach, Alison started making biscuits and selling them at various farmers markets. She gradually progressed to cakes and jams as she became more popular with the market customers. Alison won various awards for her produce including the Best of made in Cheshire, and for her stem ginger biscuits she won the Northwest Fine Foods Gold Award two years running. Originally cooking from home, Alison’s produce became more popular and she had to rent space in a catering kitchen. 6 months ago Alison converted a building by her house into a kitchen and says it is the best kitchen ever, because she designed it and everything is where she wants it! One day a customer from one of the farmers markets asked Alison specially if she would make them some blueberry jam. On attempting to make the blueberry jam, Alison found that she could not get it to set so in the next batch, she added in some strawberries. When this still wouldn’t set properly, she then added in some raspberries. Finally the jam set, and to her amazement; it tasted incredible! And so, Alison’s best selling jam was born out of a customer request that wouldn’t work! We love Alison’s Strawberry, Blueberry and Raspberry Jam here at The Hollies, and it is served in the Coffee Shop at Little Budworth alongside scones, toast and teacakes; the customers are always asking what jam it is and if they can buy it in the Farm Shop. Such is the jam’s popularity that on opening The Hollies’ Highland Hotel, Muckrach Country House Hotel, we sent a jar up to Head Chef and General Manager Rayner. Rayner loved it, and now Alison’s jam is enjoyed by the guests 369 miles away up at the hotel too!

Categorised in Farm Shops, General