Stocking honey, jam and spreads in 2024

Although it might look still to an outsider, look closer at the spreads category and you’ll see that it’s a hive of innovation – as well as contradiction. Consumers value the comfort of the classics and are willing to pay more for heritage, yet they’re simultaneously seeking out the new. They want to make healthy choices, yet indulgence is never far from their minds. And they’ll never turn their backs on a slather of something delicious on toast, yet if it can be utilised in numerous ways, so much the better.

What’s not in question, however, is the value of excellence. It’s easy to get jams and honeys wrong – cut any corners and you and your customers will know instantly – but by keeping an eye on quality, innovation, and above all, taste, your ambient section could be oh so right.

The value of heritage

“Heritage and traditions are intrinsically linked with jams and marmalades, as they are part of British traditions such as afternoon tea and breakfast, and recipes are passed down through generations,” begins Liz Baker, marketing manager at Tiptree, which has been farming since 1757 and making quality preserves since 1885. While the business was considered innovative at the time, an alternative to transporting fruit to London, jam-making is now considered a traditional skill – one which Tiptree utilises with aplomb. “We still make our products in much the same way, in small batches in copper bottomed pans. Heritage and provenance are hugely important to us and make us unique, as we have many stories of jam making throughout the decades.”

These stories are shared at the on-site museum at Tiptree’s factory in Essex, where you’ll also discover that its labelling and branding has remained constant as a “reassurring” mark of quality – as has the range’s Royal Warrant, which was originally rewarded by King George V in 1911 and has remained ever since.

“Whilst we have added newer flavours to our large range of products, we still find that the traditional flavours are the bestsellers, these are tried and tested classics and have stood the test of time, with our Strawberry Conserve remaining very popular. With times being tough for consumers’ budgets, we find that people are less likely to take risks with newer products and more likely to stick to those products which they know will taste consistently great.”

Another business expertly combining heritage and innovation is Cottage Delight, established over 50 years ago. “Despite the heritage, we’ve by no means stood in the past,” says Selina Talbot. “Our methods are artisan, cooking in small batches to retain flavour and our premium quality status – we’ve been awarded over 222 Great Taste Awards since the awards began.” As well as including much-loved classics such as Strawberry Jam and Lemon Curd, the Cottage Delight range showcases innovative and award-winning products including Passionfruit & Mango Curd and Stem Ginger Jam, and new for Christmas 2024 is Christmas Pudding Curd: an indulgent orange base topped with the warming scent of festive desserts.

Far from being simple toast toppers, Cottage Delight’s range of jams and spreads are remarkably versatile – think flavour-bomb curds in cheesecakes, and fan favourite Strawberry Jam in PB&J bakes – which perfectly suits the growing consumer demand for versatility. In fact, all Cottage Delight jars feature a QR code which links to a recipe, and the business has invested heavily in recipe creation, sharing ideas via recipe cards and booklets.

Ingredient versatility has an important role to play in the cost-of-living crisis. “Consumers are looking for a bargain and value for money but are still looking for quality,” says Selina. “Consumers are found to be shopping own label products more than ever before which is a real opportunity for brands to invest in own label offerings which are good quality as well as at the right price point. 
We are a premium manufacturer and we wouldn’t want that to ever change, however we have had to respond to this in a way that works for the consumer and us as a premium brand. We’ve introduced a great selection of promotions with some available for activation all year round and some in line with those key selling points throughout the year. We’ve seen a fantastic uptake on these promotions and feedback from our customers have said their consumers are loving them and our product is flying off the shelf.”

A healthy opportunity

For those shoppers seeking a combination of traditional comfort, great taste and health credentials, Biona has just the ticket. Its fruit spreads are free from artificial sweeteners and additives, “addressing growing consumer health consciousness and the demand for healthier, naturally sweetened options,” begins Kelly Stalker, senior marketing manager at Windmill Organics (Biona). “By sweetening with organic apple juice and puree, Biona enhances the natural fruit flavors while maintaining a better nutritional profile, which supports overall wellness.”

With a growing number of shoppers actively seeking out healthier options, 48% of global consumers actively avoiding sugar, and 67% preferring natural ingredients according to a 2020 survey by FMCG Gurus, “this approach not only caters to health-conscious consumers but also aligns with Biona’s mission to deliver organic products that are both better for people and the planet,” says Kelly.
While 2024’s fine food shopper is likely to know the difference between ‘good’ honey and ‘bad’ honey – keeping a wide berth from suspiciously cheap, blended honeys – there is still education to be done around the full plethora of flavour and health credentials it offers.

One way to really celebrate and understand honey is to keep it raw – unprocessed and unpasteurised. “Keeping honey raw is crucial for preserving its nutritional integrity, as raw honey retains more natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals compared to processed honey. Studies have shown that raw honey contains up to 4.3 times more antioxidants than processed honey. This ensures it maintains its antioxidant properties, prebiotic and overall health benefits, such as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, which can aid in digestion, soothe sore throats, and promote wound healing, says Kelly. “It also preserves the pollen naturally present in the honey, which is a main contributor of its taste.”

“Luckily nowadays consumers are very educated and aware of the difference between real honey and the highly processed stuff they often sell for £2 in supermarkets,” begins Stela Aleksieva, co-founder of BeeHype, creators of the UK’s first healthier alternatives to salted caramel, preserves and jam using just raw honey and one additional natural ingredient. “According to studies, raw honey’s advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn’t affect your blood-sugar levels as much). Unlike refined sugar, it also contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and pollen.

“Our customers understand well that honey production is very labour-intensive for bees and beekeepers. It takes about 12 bees their entire lifetime to make just one teaspoon of honey. Field bees visit 50 to 100 flowers during each trip in order to collect enough pollen,” she explains. “There are also environmental factors such as the weather, availability of flowers, and other conditions which limit the supply and can affect the quantity and quality of raw honey. However, the end product is worth the wait and justifies the higher price point.

Where nutrition meets indulgence

Nut butters have been a mainstay on food retailers’ shelves for decades, but the tide is turning, with more consumers than ever eager to experiment and make the most of their innate health credentials – note: not all nut butters were born equally, and doing it right will reap delicious rewards. “Down at our small batch makery in Hampshire, we deep roast our peanuts and grind them fresh to create naturally flavour-packed peanut butters. We source the finest hi-oleic peanuts for maximum taste and minimum fuss - no added oils necessary - simply delicious nuts and natural fruit, spice and flavours,” begins Jeni Reeve, founder of Butter Bike.

Home to such varied options as Chocolate, Smoked Chilli, Everything Bagel and Jalapeno (a current limited edition) peanut butters – and a whole lot more besides – the Butter Bike team is active and adventurous, and caters for the growing number of shoppers who share its spirit. “While we offer the classics – smooth and rugged blends, as well as unsalted 100% peanut butter – we think the magic lies in our wildly different flavoured butters. Keeping ingredients simple and natural, our blends bring together the finest deep roast peanuts with punchy flavours. Where our peanut butters lack added oils, emulsifiers, artificial flavours and refined sugars, their absence makes way for big flavour of toasted nuts, punchy seasonings and spices, seeds and fruity additions.”

With Butter Bike’s customers spooning their nut butters over a pre-cycle porridge, stirring it into yoghurt or using it as an ingredient in nutritious sweet and savoury dishes, the team has had to be unwavering in its dedication to offering a healthy product for conscientious consumers – and have had to do some education of their own. “The definition of nut butters has changed considerably,” says Jeni. “What was once a highly processed blend of peanuts, sugar and sweeteners, stabilisers and emulsifiers like palm oil, is, more often than not, now an incredibly simple blend of peanuts and perhaps a little sea salt or natural ingredients. We often hear comments like, oh no, I can’t eat that, I’m on a diet, which is frustrating because actually it’s a really naturally wholesome and satisfying snack or ingredient to use. Yes, it is almost 50% fat, but our peanuts are hi-oleic meaning they contain a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats which can actually help normalise cholesterol, blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Enjoying these simple, useful fats as part of your diet is counter to the traditional diet culture which favours calorie-counting, low-fat, high processed stuff.”

Stepping away from nut butters to an altogether innovative category, granola butters were unheard of before Iva Danchova and her partner Thiviyan, founders of Oat Avenue, arrived on the scene in 2020. Gluten free and vegan, and keen to add more variety to the foods available to the growing number of free-from consumers in the UK market, Iva landed on the idea of an oat-based spread during a Covid-19 lockdown. “I looked around the supermarket shelves and thought there are almond, cashew and oat milks, and almond and cashew butters, but where’s the oat butter?” After months of trial and error in the couple’s home kitchen, they found a winning recipe for their range of granola butters, and with a delicious array of flavours in the range – Original, Chai Spiced, Chocolate and Raspberry – and a successful social media presence, the brand has experienced exponential growth.

No doubt this success was partly down to the attention to detail Iva and Thiviyan paid at every stage of the process. It was important to the pair to produce a product that was free of allergens, because from experience Iva had learned that to make a product gluten free or vegan it was often replaced by an additive or ingredient that would make it unsuitable for allergy sufferers. The duo went above and beyond in the quest to make their products truly allergen free – spending countless times the amount of money to ensure full compliance in the factory where their range is produced.

Something that has certainly stood in Oat Avenue’s favour is its delicious versatility. From flavour-packed bakes to healthy snacks and smoothies, a wide range of recipes can be found on their website.

With a raft of new products making waves in the spreads category, and the consumer appetite for better becoming ever more apparent, there’s never been a better time to explore the jam, honey and spreads sector.