To say Kerridwen Harvey is meticulous, deliberate and purposeful is an understatement.
Each jam in her curated Sudbury collection is selected with intent and certain taste fusion in mind. Kerridwen Harvey is the culinary expert and owner of That’s My Jam.
From the Cherry Bourbon, Chai Spiced Apple or Blueberry Lavender jams, customers won’t be disappointed with the elegance and taste. Kerridwen works out of her Public Health Sudbury-inspected South End kitchen, although she does admit she’s beginning to get a little tight on space.
But these sweet combinations were not always her jam.
While living in Gatineau, Que., Harvey ran a soup business. During COVID-19, when restrictions in Ontario loosened and allowed for home-based businesses, she decided to get into the jam market.
While Harvey has always had an intense interest in cooking and baking, she started her career working with the federal government in Ottawa.
“In my early forties, I returned to school to pursue culinary studies. I’ve always had a passion for cooking and baking, and love a variety of cooking experiences and trying new flavours,” she said.
Harvey has even taken her experiences of working on a culinary lavender farm in Luskville, Que., to infuse the lavender in her best-selling blueberry lavender jam.
“Near the Ottawa River, west of Gatineau, I learned to cook with culinary grade lavender. This grade doesn’t taste like soap. You only use small doses and always pair it with food that has distinctive flavours like blueberries,” Harvey said.
Her culinary lavender for the blueberry jam is sourced locally from a spice store.
All the jams are lab-tested and marketed for sale. There are also savoury jams and barbeque sauces added to the mix now.
Much of her product is sold weekly at the Sudbury Indoor Farmer’s Market, but small shops across the North and restaurants are also buying her product.
La Fromagerie and The Daventry has been her roasted red pepper jelly in dishes like the baked brie as well as on charcuterie boards.
The Kouzzina is also selling her jams in the restaurant boutique.
Gift shops are featuring her brand from Timmins to Manitoulin Island. Sudbury residents can also find her product at True North Made, a maker’s collective shop at the New Sudbury Shopping Centre.
“I love partnering with small independent businesses,” Harvey said. “We are all supporting each other, encouraging one another and the synergy and collaboration is wonderful to see.
Harvey’s jams were featured in an Adoro Olive Oils and Vinegars gift pack collaboration this month. And as the wedding season begins, families have been requesting small, sample-sized jams for guest favours or bombonieres.
The other benefit to the jams is the health component.
The products are vegan and gluten free with no artificial pectin or gelatins.
“I also use the natural properties of the fruit to keep low sugar values. Sugar is always the first ingredient,” she said.
All the jams have well under 10 grams of sugar per tablespoon and have a shelf life of 12-18 months.
“We live in a world of dietary restrictions and health conscious people. There’s just no reason for animal products or by-products to be in my jams and sauces,” she said.
A selling feature that has been turning a lot of heads from market customers.
That’s My Jam can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Harvey is always at the Sudbury Farmer’s Market which will return outdoors in June.
Anastasia Rioux is a freelance writer in Sudbury. Let’s eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
