The weather may not always be perfect, but picnicking is a Great British tradition.
It doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair with hampers and champers; taking advantage of a break in the clouds for a swift cheese-n-pickle sarnie on a park bench counts!
We think chutneys and pickles from Deerview would pep up any picnic.
We first tasted their preserves at a small food festival on the Bluebell Railway line in Sussex. They use the best quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible, nothing artificial and no flavourings, colourings, preservatives or e-numbers.
A family affair
The brothers Graham and Martin Colombotti do all the cooking themselves.
“People are a bit surprised when they see two men slaving away in a kitchen all day making chutney and jam – but we love it.” Graham explains. “Working alongside each other means we can bounce ideas around while we are cooking. One of us will make a suggestion for a recipe, and we’ll talk it through there and then. By the end of the day, we’ve usually decided whether or not to give it a try.”
Martin agrees. “We can think of an idea, run a test batch within a day or two, have some tastings, agree a final recipe and be in production before you know it.”
After establishing themselves solidly in the wholesale supply chain, they’re now branching out with an online shop.
Deerview Deli
“We set up the Deerview Deli as we often get members of the public asking where they can buy our flavours. We make most of our sales from farmshops, delis and garden centres, but these aren’t always close to where someone lives. So we decided to create an online platform to sell the Deerview Fine Food jams, chutneys & marmalades that we make and what better to go with them than cheese & charcuterie from not only Sussex, but also the rest of the UK and the continent.”
It sounds perfect – combining delicious, Sussex-produced preserves with tastes of the world.
Deerview started small but have continued to grow each year and have now broadened their range.
Traditional tastes, modern design
They recently re-designed their labels for a more modern feel and switched from hexagonal jars to round ones – a move which gets Pork Belly’s vote as he can scrape out every last bit of deliciousness with his knife.
Graham and Martin’s father Dennis is also a valuable part of the Deerview team, taking care of the behind-the-scenes paperwork and helping out at displays, while Mum Christine lends a hand at busy times.
Now Deerview has an online shop, they’ve started using social media to promote special offers and deals. If you like what you see, why not give them a like or follow?
But at the end of the day, it’s the quality of their products that tells its own story.
I’m a big fan of their jumbleberry preserve and love the orange and ginger marmalade. Pork Belly’s more of a chutney guy and is especially fond of the ale chutney, made with beer from The Long Man Brewery
As Graham says, “There’s something very satisfying when a customer tells you ‘that’s delicious’ and you can say to yourself: I made that.”
Disclaimer: Deerview gave us some chutneys to try. As always, every opinion expressed above is our own.
More information about Deerview Deli
See Deerview FOOD CO online shop here
Where next?
• Palm Court Restaurant, Brighton Palace Pier
• Blue Waters Resort, Antigua
• Lost Gardens of Heligan