BLUE spot lids are here!

I am almost fainting with excitement! We have just received our new delivery of blue spot lids - you've had the red - and we still have those - now we have blue as well! They are so new we don't even have a picture yet. People have found them on the website and ordered them though. They match the blue spot labels if you want to see the colour.

What are you making at the moment? We are very, very lucky to have been given a huge amount of quince by a lovely lady in our next village. Our preserve business, 'Jam on the Hill', has survived the re-branding and this boost of these rare fruits is very welcome indeed. Classes are underway at The Old Smithy and I am just working on the programme for next year, which will be published on the website this week. There are still a few places left leading up to Christmas as well.

We will be launching our gift vouchers this week - ideal for Christmas presents - watch the website.Talking of Christmas, there are some fantastic packaging ideas on-line as well - we have hampers, trugs, crates, fill, ribbons - you just need to provide the contents. Take a look.

Easter newsletter and offers

Great new email newsletter out today - get here http://www.jjsurl.com/?15 You can subscribe to receive the newsletter from the website - no need to buy. There are some fantastic offers for Easter and some great ideas for weddings - so if you are a bride-to-be or know someone who is, take a look.

Christmas is coming!!!!!

Which I am sure you are all too well aware of!

We have been very busy at Jam Jar Shop finding lots of lovely packaging for you to make your preserves look really special as we know many of you are hard at working making gifts for Christmas. We have some great hampers which come complete with the woodstraw fill in a choice of colours, lovely trugs and crates plus a more modern looking card tray - very exec! And bows. Hundreds of bows. Elegant bows. Again, a great choice of colours, there's our own custom-designed labels plus all the fantastic range of jars and bottles of course.

We are busy making our yummy yummy mincemeat - May has another batch on the go today - I think this year we will use the 12oz Marmalade Jar as it is a very pretty shape and is looks generous without giving too much away, if you know what I mean. ( Note to self, re-name it the 12oz Mincemeat Jar . . . ) I must also tell May that we shall be starting the equally yummy Cranberry Relish any day now. Look out for fresh cranberries in the shops - making the relish couldn't be easier. That needs to go in an 8oz jar as it is the sort of preserve that you tend to open and use the whole jar. If we talk to Trev nicely and feed him chocolate biscuits he might put our secret recipe on the website - just this once ( but you mustn't tell anyone 'cos it's secret.)

Have you seen our bargain Mystery Box on the site as well? Every time I read those words on an order, Toyah Wilcox comes to mind - it's a mystery etc etc, I hate that song . . . I don't know what is in each box as Melanie packed them, but I know they are good value especially if you like surprises!

Best of all news, our own, our very own Jam Maker's Journal will be on site next week - the very best Christmas present ever for any jam or preserve maker. We are just waiting for the ink to dry and then you will be able to order lots and lots of copies at a special price - for a limited time - to get a few more presents ticked off of your list. I must drop a few hints myself, oh, no, - I wrote it. Doh!