A COUPLE who combined their passions for seasonal produce and culinary creativity are seeing the fruits of their labour rewarded.

Joy and Francis Kerin, of Kirkby Fleetham, near Northallerton, said they launched Just The Ticket Preserves five years ago to find an outlet for the 26 types of vegetables and fruit found in the garden of their semi-detached home.

Mr Kerin, a former agriculture lecturer at Askham Bryan College's Bedale campus, said the venture remained centred around using the highest quality and freshest ingredients possible.

He said: "We had a glut and in Yorkshire tradition we could not stand to waste the produce.

"Originally, everything we produced came out of the garden, but as the business has grown, friends and neighbours give or barter their surplus products.

"Following last year's poor harvest, as keeping it local is part of our ethos, we started supplementing this with products from North Yorkshire producers and wholesalers, such as eggs from Swaledale and fruit and vegetables from Carricks, in Snape.

"What is different about our products is that they are being made at home with the love and care we would do making things for our own family.

"For example, we never make biscuits unless they are made with pure butter and we make our own gelling agents using natural lemon and apple pectins, depending upon the taste required for the preserve."

The retired couple, who have five grandchildren, source extra produce for speciality products such as hedgerow jelly, which includes rosehips, hawberries, sloe berries and elderberries, by seasonal foraging while walking their dog.

Mrs Kerin, a former teacher at Le Cateau Primary School, in Catterick Garrison, utilises her years of experience as her family's cook to make a dizzying array of products in her kitchen at home.

The range includes 12 different types of marmalade, 25 varieties of jam, a host of cakes and biscuits, berry liquers, 18 savoury jellies for cold meat and 25 chutneys.

Mr Kerin, who says he is able to let the carefully packaged products sell themselves at markets, fairs and shows across Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale, has established a loyal customer base and sells some of their produce online. He said: "People take our lemon curd to their friends all around the world.

"All farmers' wives in the Dales make jam and cakes, so I persuade them to take a break!"

Mr Kerin said the cost of many ingredients had soared since launching five years ago - a 26kg bag of sugar rising from £8 to £38 - so they had adapted the ways they sold produce.

He said: "People living by themselves often don't want a whole cake so we sell individual slices, quarter cakes and half cakes."

Just the Ticket were among the stallholders at last Sunday's Homegrown Food Festival in Northallerton.

The product Just The Ticket products are available at markets at Reeth on Fridays, Masham on Saturdays and Bedale on Tuesdays and fair days during the summer.

Mr Kerin will hold stalls at country shows, including Muker, Aldborough and Boroughbridge, and Reeth, throughout the summer and Christmas fairs at Helmsley.

A range of the produce is also available by visiting justtheticket preserves. co. uk or at The Black Horse Inn, Kirkby Fleetham.