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How a small-scale chutney venture has grown into a thriving business
Kingswood-based preserve and jam maker GingerBeard’s Preserves is marking a significant milestone in 2024 as it enters tenth year of trade in the city.
What started as a humble venture in a one-bedroom basement flat in Montpelier has now grown into a thriving business, doubling its production following an investment from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA).
GingerBeard’s Preserves received a sum of £16,000 in 2023 under WECA’s Business Growth and Adoption Grant which enabled them to purchase new machinery in order to expand its operations.
Harry Calvert, known for his distinct red facial hair, founded GingerBeard’s Preserves with his partner Claire Charras back in 2014 with a “mission is to bring awesome tasting preserves and sauces to the people of Bristol and beyond.”
By the end of 2024, Calvert and Charras plan to produce up to 200,000 products a year from their Kingswood-based headquarters
Calvert who previously worked as a chef in Edinburgh and Bristol is no stranger to experimenting with flavours and condiments as he decided to launch his own brand.
Charras, with her experience in marketing and communication, has helped to increase the digital footprint of the business through the bespoke website and social media presence.
Calvert said: “In this recent and current economic climate, celebrating ten years as a small, independent business in Bristol feels like a privilege quite frankly.
“That said, Bristol has been the perfect place to start a business like GingerBeard’s Preserves.”
Speaking about their work with others companies, Calvert added: “We’ve been really lucky to collaborate with some fantastic local businesses and met some food and drink producers who are just as passionate as we are about making awesome-tasting products.”
He singled out GingerBeard’s loyal customer base with high praise, saying: “We’ve got some really loyal customers, who have been with us since the start and that is something you simply cannot put a value to.
“We’ve certainly grown as a business since we started all those years ago in our one-bed basement flat in Montpelier and our recent label refresh is a reflection of that growth (we think).”
GingerBeard’s Preserves currently produce 54 different products crafted to complement cuisines from around the world
Recently, metro mayor Dan Norris was a guest at the bottling facility of GingerBeard’s Preserves where Calvert put Norris to work with the new machinery purchased.
On the success of GingerBeard’s Preserves, metro mayor Dan Norris said: “The sweet smell of success is really in the air at GingerBeard’s Preserves. Their preserves and sauces are yummy, so it’s no wonder they’ve won so many awards. It’s great to be able to support a growing local business like this.”
The equipment has speeded up the process of filling jars of jams, chutneys and other preserves, increasing the company’s capacity, with production having almost doubled since its installation 11 months ago.
By the end of 2024, the company plans to produce up to 200,000 products a year from their Kingswood-based headquarters and employ six members of staff.
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When asked about future plans, Calvert said: “Our crystal ball is showing a new labelling machine in our future (hopefully) as we’re currently labelling our 200,000 jars with a manual machine.
“Of course, we want to see growth that will allow us to bring more staff on board while keeping our range small batch and only supplying independent stockists.
“Plans are bubbling away for our tenth birthday, expect a series of new releases after the summer.
“We can’t reveal too much just yet, but there’ll be some exciting twists on old classics and some quirky new collabs.”
All photos: GingerBeard’s Preserves
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