YORKSHIRE JAM MAKERS LAUNCH CHRISTMAS RANGE INTO ASDA

Preserve and condiment company Mercers of Yorkshire has taken its range of Asda products to 42 with the introduction of six new Christmas products.

The York-based jam and chutney manufacturer has added Mincemeat with Brandy, Brandy Butter, Cranberry & Port Sauce, Peaches in Brandy, Black Cherries in Kirsch and Whole Baby Pears in Port to its Asda range.

The Wheldrake company, run by husband and wife team Paul and Lizzie Mercer, has had something of a supermarket sweep this year, launching new products into Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Booths, Proudfoots, and most recently Sainsbury’s. In March, it fought off tough competition to be named as one of only three-producers in the UK to meet the exacting standards of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes to produce its new range of WI jams, marmalades and chutneys ““ available in Waitrose and Booths, as well as farm shops, garden centres, delis and visitor centres nationwide.

The launch also follows the news that Mercers has received a double nomination in two of the region’s most prestigious awards ““ ‘Best Sweet Preserve’ in the Deliciouslyorkshire Awards for its Raspberry Jam and Lemon Cheese (due to be announced this month) and ‘Best Handmade Product’ for its Raspberry Conserve in the Yorkshire Post Awards, for which it received a ‘Highly Commended’.

The Mercers of Yorkshire range is made in small batches at the company’s factory in Wheldrake and is one of only three supermarket brands that strictly uses real British sugar in its products, along with judiciously sourced fruit. Many of the competing brands subsidise sugar for manufactured glucose fructose syrup.

“It’s an exciting time for us at the moment with our brand new Christmas range hitting the shelves this month and two nominations for awards” says Paul Mercer. “It’s seems all our Christmases really have come at once!”

The Mercers of Yorkshire Christmas product range is now available in Asda. The range is also stocked throughout the region in other leading supermarkets, along with farm shops and delis, or available online at www.mercersofyorkshire.com