Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 140

food

Island Life - August/September 2010

Brian Whyte (3rd left) pictured with some happy customers

Take your pick for another passer-by in Luccombe

Luccombe Jam Man still has a
taste for the sweet life
Brian Whyte used to grow a lot of
rhubarb in his garden. But as he
explained: “There is only so much
rhubarb you can eat!”
So Brian decided to experiment,
turning his rhubarb into jam. It didn’t
go down too well with the Women’s
Institute when he won first prize at the
Village Fayre where he lived in Sussex.
And his success was brought to
an abrupt halt when he posed for a
photograph with his winning entry, only
to drop the jar on the kitchen floor.
Even so, that heralded the start of
a jam making hobby for Brian, which
he continued when he moved to the
Island 10 years ago. Now known as the
Luccombe Jam Man, Brian’s jams can
be found on a table along the popular
coastal footpath walk between Shanklin
and Bonchurch.
His produce has won the praise of
visitors far and wide, and even been
mentioned in national newspaper
despatches. So we caught up with him
to discover a few secrets of his success,
and quite a bit more!
He said: “I just decided one day I
would turn some of the rhubarb into
jam. I had never made jam in my life, so
I dug out a recipe book and followed
it. A fortnight later it was the Village
Fayre, so I put the jam in almost as a
joke, and got first prize. The local WI
were not too happy, then I dropped it
on the kitchen floor!
“But that was how it started. When
we came to the Island I made some
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more rhubarb jam and put the jars
outside the house. I sold a few, but not
many walkers come past the house so I
put them by the coastal footpath.
“The table has been there eight years.
I had a few problems to start, because
I left an ice cream tub as the ‘honesty
box’ and some money was nicked. Then
I put a money box there, and that also
got nicked. So I screwed the money box
to the table, and the table got nicked!
“Thankfully it has not been a regular
occurrence, but once was enough. Now
the money box is bolted to the table,
and the table is chained to a post. My
wife told me to pack it up, but I wasn’t
going to let anyone beat me.”
He continued: “One bloke kept
nicking the jam and the money. I
caught him red-handed one day, and
chased after him. He just happened to
trip up and went face first into a bed
of stinging nettles. He hasn’t been
back since, but he did walk off with the
jam.”
Once rhubarb had been established,
Brian turned to other fruits, making
such jammy treats as plum, strawberry,
raspberry and blackberry, as well as
lemon and orange marmalade.
“I don’t put any preservatives in the
jam, so I only make it a couple of weeks
ahead, so it depends what fruit is in
season. The jam is made purely of fruit,
sugar and water, with maybe a bit of
lemon juice to take a bit of sweetness
away,” he said. “The fruit is all locally
sourced. Some I buy, some I grow and

some I am given, but it is all sourced
here.”
A columnist from a national paper
recently came to the Island, mentioned
the honesty box in his column, and
ended by saying he nicked it. The article
caused internet uproar.
Brian continued “Generally everyone
is very honest. I don’t like the ones who
leave a penny or 5p for the jam. But a
lot bring the jars back after they have
used them, and some pay ‘over the top’
for it.
“I even received a cheque for £1.60
from the mainland. The couple
explained they took a jar of jam, but
had no change at the time, so they sent
me the cheque when they got home.”
He added: “I make all the jams at
home; I am usually up at 4.0am and
make it all before breakfast. I used to
use recipe books, but I don’t go strictly
by the book, and I never sell any of the
jam until I am happy with it, and will
eat it.
“A wooden spoon is one of my most
useful tools. You bring the jam to the
boil and stir it, and if it sticks to the
back of the spoon – not the front – you
know it is ready.
“I once made apple jam, but didn’t
like it – it was too bland. As I said, I
have to be pleased with it. If I don’t like
it then I won’t sell it.”

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