Gin and jam maker Kim Cameron harvested praise at the Royal Highland Show for taking Gin Bothy back to where it all began with a new range of handmade jams and marmalades.
It was a busy weekend for the Jam Bothy team, finally showcasing their new offering after months of preparations.
Kim said: “We are so proud of our jams and marmalades. It really is a joy to be able to share them so many other people, and get their honest feedback, which we are thrilled with.
“It has been so well received with people loving the flavours and the fact it is a 100% natural product.
“We’ve also a variety of suppliers from Aviemore to Carlisle asking to stock our products and so we can’t wait to see The Jam Bothy in shops and cafes across the country.”
Sweet beginnings
The popular Gin Bothy originally began as Jam Bothy nine years ago, after Kim – then running a coffee shop – won the World Jampionships.
She put a production kitchen into a tiny bothy outside Glamis, and soon began using the extra fruit juice from jam making to infuse gin.
In 2015, the jams took a back seat as Gin Bothy came to life. Because of the growing demand for spirits, Kim and her team could only make enough jam for their own shop.
At the Royal Highland Show, the jams were finally brought back out again, bigger than ever.
“We’re moving this year and our premises are much larger, and we’ve had an amazing jam maker join us. We’re already buying fruit for liqueurs, so we decided this is the right time to bring jam back,” says Kim.
“The Royal Highland Show for me was where it all started, the farm shops, tourism and rural supporters have me the confidence and support to really go for it.
“It’s a big step for us and it’s only right that we bring it back to the Highland Show.”
Gin Bothy’s new jam range
The new Jam Bothy range boasts five different jams and three marmalades. The marmalades are made with gin, rum and whisky, while jams include raspberry, raspberry & gin, strawberry & champagne, rhubarb & ginger and chilli.
All the jams and gins are on offer at Gin Bothy’s stall in Scotland’s Larder at the Royal Highland Show.
It was a busy time for the all-female team of 16 at the bothy preparing for the show.
“We’ve been furiously making jam for the past couple of months to be ready for the launch,” says Kim.
As the bothy team uses Angus berries in its products, it follows the production calendar of local farmers. From raspberries and strawberries to rhubarb and sloeberries, ingredients make their way to the bothy within hours of picking.
To make the production zero waste, fruit juice left over from jam making goes into the gins, while berries that have finished soaking in gin are turned into jam.
Kim says: “It’s sustainable, as we use waste products from jam to make gin and vice versa, and we’re supporting local farms.”
Gin Bothy’s products are also sold in mainland Europe and the USA.
