Kitchen Garden celebrates 7 fruitful SALSA years

Kitchen Garden Foods have been making top quality jams, marmalades and condiments under their own label since 1989 when Barbara Moinet, Director, cooked up her first batch of blackberry and apple jam in the kitchen of her Gloucestershire cottage.  The family-owned company are now based in a dedicated production unit in Stroud, manufacturing by hand their range of traditional and speciality preserves which has now grown to include pouring sauces.  From the same production unit they also make their Wolfys porridge pots introduced in 2013.  (Just add boiling water and the pots are the perfect warm energiser for those on the go).   They currently employ 17 full and part time staff on site.

Kitchen Garden Foods first joined SALSA in 2009.  ‘We were being approached by larger customers who required a recognised form of accreditation.  We felt SALSA was the right fit for a company of our size,’ says Barbara. They quickly went through to gain approval later the same year and have successfully maintained the SALSA standard and seal of approval for the past seven years.

The SALSA membership resources have been well used by the Company. ‘The online guidance documents and tools and tips are excellent, clarifying the requirements expected and helping us to focus our minds.  The SALSA team are very helpful with any queries we’ve had,’ adds Robin Moinet, husband of Barbara and Managing Director.  He continues, ‘I attended a SALSA HACCP course last year which I found very helpful with clear concise information which helped to reinforce my existing knowledge.’

Barbara comments on the benefits approval.  ‘SALSA has been invaluable as a means of conveying our company ethics and high standards of food safety. Their auditors are both rigorous and helpful, enabling us to improve our standards year on year.  The wide recognition the certification holds has helped us to increase sales substantially.’

The Kitchen Garden range of condiments and jams can be found in Caviar House, Partridges of Sloane Square, Wholefoods and numerous small independents and delis across the UK and overseas. For more information please see the SALSA Directory or visit their website: https://www.kitchengardenpreserves.co.uk/