Not many people can say that the royal family have enjoyed their homemade jam and chutney.
So it was a particularly proud moment for Anna Wilson when the caterers at Balmoral, the Scottish home of the royal family, put in an order for her Huntly Herbs organic preserves.
“In the past, I’ve sent orders to Balmoral so I think Prince Charles has tried it,” says Anna.
“I also had an order from the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s caterers too,” says Anna.
Family venture
It was back in 1999 when Anna’s mum Fiona established Huntly Herbs as a farm diversification, growing and selling organic herb plants at Whitestones, the family’s farm just outside Huntly.
Inspired by her mum, Anna joined Huntly Herbs in 2001, and since then the business, which is also run by Anna’s dad Fraser, has evolved to concentrate on preserve-making.
Sadly Fiona died in 2019 but her legacy lives on in Huntly Herbs as Anna and Fraser continue to produce award-winning preserves, with help from Anna’s partner Calum.
“It’s amazing to think that Huntly Herbs started out as my mum’s hobby in a tiny potting shed,” says Anna who has a two-year-old daughter Roisin.
“I don’t think she would ever of imagined it growing the way it has.”
Jam and jelly
From organic chutney and jellies to sauces and jams, the preserves are made in small batches from the fruit, vegetables and herbs grown on the farm.
Every single jar is hand-poured from a hand-stirred pan before being left to mature to allow the full flavour to develop.
“We make everything in quite small batches as that’s really important in terms of the flavour,” says Anna.
“If you make jam in huge batches then you have to cook it for longer and it can lose some of its flavour so if you make it in small batches it keeps the flavour although it’s quite labour intensive.”
Certified producers
As one of only a few certified organic preserve producers in Scotland, it’s not surprising that people across the UK can’t get enough of Huntly Herbs.
“Our raspberry jam is very popular as is our gooseberry and elderflower jam which is not only tasty but is very pretty to look at as it has tiny flowers suspended in the jam,” says Anna.
Some of the other mouthwatering jam flavours include plum, jostaberry jam (a small dark fruit), rhubarb and ginger, strawberry and redcurrant and yellow cherry plum jam.
Homemade chutney
Savoury fans are also in for a treat as Huntly Herbs also has a moreish range of homemade organic chutneys.
“We’ve got hot lemon relish which is quite spicy and is also a bit sweet and sour so it’s very versatile so you could have it with cheese or in a bacon roll or you could spread it on top of salmon and bake it in the oven,” says Anna.
“Another popular chutney is our Strathbogie Sizzler which is quite an old-fashioned chutney with chillies which is really good with sausages and also cheese and oatcakes.”
Other chutneys and relishes hitting the spot include Blond Bombshell – a sweet, spicy chutney made with Black Isle Brewery blonde beer and a tangy combination of ginger, garlic and chilli.
Also ideal for cheese boards are flavours including beetroot and apple chutney, coriander chutney, dill chutney, hot pumpkin chutney, tarragon chutney, Porter beer chutney and traditional marrow chutney.
Wasabi
Meanwhile, perfect for barbecues is the Huntly Herb green tomato and wasabi sauce.
“We actually grow our own wasabi,” says Anna.
“So our sauce is quite a cool and spicy sauce.”
Made from wild rowan berries, the Huntly Herbs non-organic Rowan Jelly has also been a big hit.
“It’s perfect with game and meat or with cheese,” says Anna.
Herbal teas
Also in the jelly collection is organic apple and chilli jelly, grape and marjoram non-organic jelly, non-organic hedgerow jelly and organic redcurrant jelly.
Growing their business even further, Huntly Herbs will also have a range of herbal teas available to buy later this year.
“We’re going back to the heart of herb growing without herbal teas,” says Anna.
“We’ve just started harvesting the herbs so we’re going to make a range of chamomile, mint and lemon balm tea.”
And it’s not just in the UK where demand for Huntly Herbs is growing.
“Pre Brexit we used to send our products abroad as we used to supply an organic herb and spice shop in Lake Como in Italy,” says Anna.
“But because of Brexit and the paperwork involves it’s not worthwhile.
“I did look into it as I had queries from Germany and America too.”
Anna, who has a two-year-old daughter Roisin with her partner Calum, says Huntly Herbs is so much more than just a job to her.
“It’s really satisfying to see a crop develop and I love coming up with new ideas for recipes,” says Anna.
When Anna isn’t hard at work in one of the polytunnels, she is never far away from nature.
“You’ll find me working in my garden, so I enjoy more of the same,” laughs Anna.
To find out more about Huntly Herbs, check out their website www.huntlyherbs.co.uk or go to their Facebook page @HuntlyHerbs.
A round of questions with Anna Wilson
What is your favourite herb and why?
An almost impossible question! If I had to choose two at the moment I would say Balm Of Gilead for the amazing eucalyptus-like scent, and lemon balm because it makes such great tea.
If you were on a desert island, what jam and chutney would you take with you and why?
I’d take Damson Jam because it has such a deep, plummy flavour that I love, and Hot Lemon Relish because the sweet/salt/sour/spicy combination is quite addictive.
What is the best jam and drink pairing?
I’d love to say I’ve come up with a unique homemade cocktail mixer involving a spoonful of gooseberry jam…but in reality, it’s hard to beat a traditional cup of tea with a jam scone.
What is your favourite chutney pairing?
Dill Chutney with smoked salmon and cream cheese on fresh brown bread.
If you were a herbal tea what would you be and why?
Hmm, that’s tricky – I am quite indecisive, so I would probably be a blend…maybe mint and lemon balm!
If you could serve anyone your jams and chutneys, who would it be?
I’d love to serve them to my grandmothers, who both died when I was quite young, to see what they thought of my flavours.
Tell us a trick of the trade?
Always mature your chutneys before eating them, it makes a massive difference to the flavour. It’s not really a secret, but it’s amazing how often chutneys are served immature – they can taste very sharp and vinegary.
You have to make a jam to represent Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire. What would that be?
Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam because gooseberries grow really well in Aberdeenshire, with the right combination of cold days in winter, sun in summer and (in usual years) enough rain to swell the fruit. Elderflowers are usually blooming while there are still gooseberries on the bush and the combination of sharp fruity gooseberries and sweet, floral elderflowers is delicious.
What is the most underrated herb and why?
Lovage – it’s really hardy, easy to grow and gives a huge amount of leaf. Lovage has a wonderful savoury, malty-celery flavour, it’s like a one-plant vegetable stock cube and also makes delicious soup.
What is the most unusual jam/chutney you’ve ever tried?
A friend brought me back a cactus jam from Tenerife once – it was an amazing bright pink colour.
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