Preserves shop The Jam Horse is supporting other small local businesses and spreading positivity in Doncaster

Rachel Whittaker, aged 44, of Cantley, set up shop on Scot Lane where she makes and sells a range of jams and preserves.

She started the business four years ago at home, first by selling baby food in 2015 before switching to preserves as they were outselling her other products.

Rachel said: “All our preserves and chutneys are made here in Scot Lane. Strawberry jam and the piccalilli, are available year round.

“At the moment we have rhubarb jam that’s just come in because rhubarb is now in season from Wakefield.”

She sells more than 70 different varieties of preserves, with around 40 in circulation at one time depending on what is in season.

As well as the classic staples she also makes unique flavours – including the more unusual strawberry and black pepper and banana and habanero chutney.

Rachel believes in supporting local businesses and stocks a variety of Yorkshire products in her shop.

These include spices and sauces from local Doncaster businesses Ajika and Rumba.

“We do our best to support all local businesses, particularly Doncaster food businesses.

“We’ve got chilli products from Sheffield and some lovely breads and pate that are made in Bawtry and Epworth.”

But she doesn’t stop there for, as well as stocking their goods, she is also helping to promote their businesses.

“One of the things we're doing this year is running a lot of ‘Meet the Maker’’ workshops, giving talks to people in the area,” she continued.

The Jam Horse hosted an event on Saturday for a local business which sells Peruvian food, and will shortly be opening in the Wool Market.

Rachel is passionate about Doncaster business and wants more people to set up shop in the town centre – and urged more people to visit the town centre to shop and discover the exciting things going on.

“I’m from Doncaster, born and bred. I love Doncaster and I hate seeing people say such negative things about it all the time because the more we put it down the worse it will get.

“What we need to be doing is building Doncaster up and saying’you know what we’ve got a great town’.

“We’ve got an airport and a massive amount of business investment in this town.

“Great things are going on in the town centre. If people would just come and have a look I think they would be surprised that there’s so much development here.

“There is a lot of money from the council being put into different projects around the town and Scot Lane in particular is going to be a mecca, we hope, for artisan businesses.”

Cicero Silver is soon to open next door to The Jam Horse, selling natural products and candles.

Two businesses are moving in further down Scot Lane that also make artisan products.

The Jam Horse has been in the town centre for less than three months, but recently won the Small Business Sunday award.

It was chosen as the winners by none other than business tycoon Theo Paphitis who Rachal met at the awards show.

In 2019 Rachel hopes to continue expanding the Doncasterproducts she stocks in The Jam Horse as well as supporting fellow businesses in the area. She also hopes to sell a range of hampers to suit seasonal occasions such as Easter and Christmas, stocked with quality Yorkshire products.

They can be found online at @TheJamHorse on all social media platforms.