Gran plan pays off as Vanessa makes family recipe count

AN "accidental" entrepreneur has proved following your passion can lead to sweet business success.

The idea for VKP Preserves was prompted when its founded, Vanessa Powell, found her grandmother's old recipe books.

After rooting through the recipes, she discovered a whole new business venture just waiting to be served up.

Vanessa has now been producing chutneys, dressings and jams for the past five years, using her nan's recipes – some of which date back five generations.

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Vanessa, who is originally from Somerset, said: "I used to make my own jewellery and then sell it at craft fairs but there was always too many people there doing the same thing.

"One day, I discovered my nan's (Sylvia's) old recipes for jams, chutneys, dressings and all sorts.

"So, I started making a few of them and the business has grown from there."

VKP Preserves now sells a variety of jams, marmalades, chutneys, relishes and dressings and is a regular visitor to farmers' markets and food festivals, picking up a few awards along the way.

Last year, the east Hull cottage company scooped a gong at Beverley Food Festival for its caramelised carrot chutney. This was followed at Beverley Food Festival 2012, which took place on Sunday, with an award for her Bramble Sour Cherry Conserve.

Vanessa said: "I was really surprised that it actually turned into a business.

"I just enjoy doing it – it's fun."

Vanessa said that the farmers' markets were ideal for her products.

She said: "They are really good for my products as I only make them in small batches, as we don't use any preservatives or artificial colouring.

"I always use local products and I sometimes go foraging for fruit and source items from farmers' markets."

One of Vanessa's chutneys, Folklore, has brought along a story with it.

Vanessa said that when her nan made the chutneys, if there was glut in a certain fruit, people in the village she lived in would pass on the fruit for her to use.

Vanessa said: "Nan named this chutney folklore and even nowadays, if people have plums or fruit in their gardens, they sometimes ask me to make use of it."

The entrepreneur said her business is more of a hobby, than a career.

She said: "This is more of a hobby really just because I really enjoy it.

"I like how it is going and I always really enjoy doing the markets and the food festivals.

"I am just happy to keep plodding along."