Published on 1st September 2025

Garden to Jar was founded by Sarah Griffin in the spring of 2024. Having established a following at Horsham Local Produce Market, the small business has steadily grown and has recently enjoyed success at a national competition for young traders. AAH visited Sarah at her Partridge Green kitchen to find out more…  

Passion for Baking

Sarah was not destined to make chutneys and jams. Having enjoyed baking as a child, she gained two qualifications in patisserie and confectionery, taking an advanced Level 3 diploma after first earning a Level 2 certificate.  She developed her skills further awhile working at Gail’s Bakery in the Carfax. However, when it came to starting her own business, Sarah considered other options...

She said: ‘There were already several established traders selling pastries and cakes on the market, as well as other bakeries and patisseries in town. It didn’t make sense to launch another, as the demand wasn’t there and it would limit opportunities to set up a stall, as market operators try to offer variety. So, I thought about jams and chutneys, which nobody was offering locally. They have the added benefit of a long shelf-life too, so it made financial sense to pursue this idea.’

Bartie Lends a Hand Ardingly-based business Bartie’s Sussex Faire was once a regular feature of the market. As a Great Taste Award winner, owner John ‘Bartie’ Bartlett had many regular customers, offering a wide range of chutneys, marmalades and chilli products. After John retired, Sarah spotted a gap in the market and approached him with a business proposition. 

She said: ‘I decided to buy 10 of Bartie’s most popular recipes and set up my own business. Unfortunately, as he had been retired for over a year, he had sold his kitchen equipment, so perhaps I should have thought of it sooner! Over the course of two weeks, he passed on the secrets of his recipes and gave me great advice on how to set jellies. I think he was happy to help a young person trying to establish a new business and I’m grateful for all his support.’

FRESH PRODUCE

Sarah launched her business at the Horsham heat of a Young Market Traders’ competition, organised by the National Market Trader’s Federation (NMTF). Initially, she offered the 10 chutneys purchased from Bartie: spicy pineapple, Sussex ale, spicy tomato, red onion, spiced aubergine, chilli jam, fig, carrot and smoked garlic, and piccalilli, as well as an apple and chilli jelly. Sarah called the business Garden to Jar, to represent the home-grown ingredients she used.  

Sarah said: ‘Growing up in Broadbridge Heath, we were always growing and eating our own produce. We grew carrots, parsnips, peas, beans, tomatoes and other fruit and vegetables. As we don’t produce enough for to support the business completely, I also source fresh groceries from TG Fruits and Greenway Fruit Farm, both based in Sussex. But I still love growing food and have an allotment plot, with some of the produce grown there utilised in my recipes, while my nan has apple trees that I pick from too. So, it made sense to call the business Garden to Jar, as we use fresh produce for all our products.’  

PICK OF THE BUNCH

If chutneys were new to Sarah, she was more at home with jams and marmalades, using traditional recipes from a family cookbook. Gradually, she has grown the range to nearly 40 products, introducing strawberry, plum and peach jams, grapefruit, sweet orange and Seville orange marmalades, and jellies including plain apple, grape, cranberry, and apple and chilli.  

Sarah said: ‘It’s fun developing new recipes and I don’t always get them right first time. When I made my first batch of Seville orange marmalade, my dad didn’t like it, so I experimented with black treacle until it was perfect. I love new challenges too, such as making cherry jam for a friend who doesn’t eat strawberries, and developing new greengage and Horsham blueberry jams. Last year, I put out a social media appeal for quince, which is expensive to buy from wholesalers. Many people responded and I was able to make 60 jars of quince jam, using fruit picked from local gardens. I have also introduced a new chutney to the range, great-great grandma’s apple chutney, made using an old family recipe!’

MIXED FORTUNES

A lot of preparation goes on behind the scenes, with Sarah working long hours from Mondays to Wednesdays in her kitchen on a Partridge Green Trading Estate. She cooks in small batches, usually around 50 jars at a time. Most of her produce is sold through the Horsham market, which Sarah attends on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. She also often attends a Sunday market at Preston Park in Brighton.  

She said: ‘There are good days and bad days on the market, and much of your success depends on the weather. I have made good friends through markets and my partner Jozef is market manager in Horsham. As I was still a teenager when I started the business and remain the youngest trader, people look out for me. Sometimes, they can be almost overbearing, and I need to remind them that I too am a business owner! But they mean well and it feels like one big family. I love talking to customers too and some used to buy from Sussex Faire, so they’re pleased to see certain products return. I include cooking tips on some of the jars too, and people remember that was also a feature of Bartie’s.’ 

NATIONAL FINAL

In April, Sarah took part in the Horsham heat of an annual competition, aimed at encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs aged 16 – 30. The National Market Trader’s Federation (NMTF) organises the competition, with the heat in West Street, Horsham, supported by local market operators Coden Events and Horsham District Council. Having been named as the overall winner of the Horsham heat, Garden to Jar progressed to the regional final at Broadway Market in Hackney. Here, the business was named overall winner in the ‘Grocery’ category, ensuring Sarah progressed to the national final in Stratford-upon-Avon, held in August. 

Sarah said: ‘I took part last year and also reached the national final then, but I came home empty handed. However, I learned a lot from the experience and was determined to come back bigger and better, to show that I have developed the business. The feedback last year was that my products were good, but I could have done more to market the brand. 

So, this year I worked on a more professional promotion, with branded T-shirts and an improved layout. Although I didn’t win, I had an amazing couple of days and the judges noted my progress. The competition has been good for me and I encourage other young traders to enter, as you don’t have to pay for your pitch and you feel really well supported.’ 

ROOM TO GROW

Garden to Jar has been further supported by the Council’s Green LEAP funding, allowing Sarah to invest in key equipment to reduce the business’s environmental footprint. This includes a bigger oven, new fridges and a dishwasher to encourage use of a reusable jar scheme. This will help Sarah drive the business forward on several fronts, potentially opening up more wholesale and catering opportunities.

She said: ‘I would like to add new products next year, including a range of barbecue sauces. I also enjoy working with other local producers and use Firebird’s Old Ale in my Sussex ale chutney, based on a recommendation by our friends at The Beer Mine. I like being a small, independent business, but it is reaching a point where I might need an extra pair of hands to help me in the kitchen. That would allow me to dedicate more time to growing our online presence and explore catering and wholesale opportunities. We already sell our products at Chez Polie at Highwood, but there are other excellent farm shops and hopefully we will be able to partner with some of them in future too.’ 

Words: Ben Morris/Photos: Alan Wright

Further information: Order online at www.gardentojar.co.uk