Their Story
Their story starts in Swaledale, a few miles west of Richmond in one of Yorkshire’s most beautiful Dales. Famous for dry stone walls, old field barns and wild flower meadows.
This is where Elspeth Biltoft’s formative years were spent in these idyllic rural surroundings with parents who were completely passionate about the countryside.
On walks with her father, they would gather watercress from a secluded stream along with wild crab-apples, blackberries and pounds of aromatic mushrooms to take home.
Elspeth’s mother taught her to appreciate the value of all these wild and home-grown ingredients. By preparing preserves together they were able to enjoy seasonal treats throughout the year.
By the early 1980’s, Elspeth was honing her skills by making preserves for her own family, faithfully following the eight traditional recipes handed down by her mother.
In 1988, Elspeth and her family moved to Rosebud Farm near Masham in North Yorkshire where they acquired two traditional nineteenth century barns that were later renovated to accommodate the fledgling business.
They began trading to markets and craft fairs. Independent customers followed, including delicatessens, stately homes, cheesemongers, hotels and farm shops throughout the UK.
Today, Rosebud Preserves export their goods to countries throughout the world, in particular Ireland, Germany, France, Japan and the USA, where their naturally set fruit and herb jellies in particular have achieved considerable success in many top gourmet and natural food stores.
Visit Swaledale
The home of Rosebud Preserves
This area offers unspoilt landscapes, perfect for nature lovers.
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Masham is a busy market town with two traditional breweries. Theakston museum is popular with tourist and visitors can easily find quality local delicacies to sample.
The historic city of Ripon is just a short drive away and boasts a magnificent Cathedral and serves as a masterpiece of medieval architecture.
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Middleham Castle was once home to Richard the 3rd who became famous just a few years ago after his remains were found under a car park in the city of Leicester.
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