IT was my friend Liz who inspired this column. She bought some red pepper relish and some ginger cordial at a market stall and raved about them throughout our Saturday afternoon walk.

"You've got to find the makers and write about them," she said.

And I always do as I'm told...

The relish was made by a company with the splendid name of Pickled Pink Preserves. It's actually a husband and wife team, Joan and Richard Crawford. They were both teachers at King James I Community College in Bishop Auckland and after they managed to tunnel out, wondered what to do next.

"We've always been interested in food, and Richard has always made pickles and chutneys, so we thought we'd try doing it on a larger scale," says Joan.

Soon the kitchen of their house in Bishop Auckland was turned into a mini production line and they tentatively took a stall on the market.

"We already had some of our own favourite recipes. Then friends started finding us more," says Joan.

Some of these, including one for Yorkshire relish, came from Victorian cookbooks handed down through families - and sold out as fast as they could make it.

"But we didn't just want to be another 'olde worlde' type company," says Richard, "which is why we chose the name Pickled Pink. We thought it sounded a bit different, a bit more fun."

Which is also why their range includes more modern delights, such as Thai banana and coconut chutney, salsa, red onion marmalade, chilli and ginger jelly and pasta sauce.

They are also interested in using hedgerow fruits. "Last summer, I picked lots of blackberries. No one else seems interested in them any more. And also rose hips. People used to use rose hips a lot during the war as they're full of vitamin C but that's something else that's gone out of fashion," says Richard.

There are also elderflower cordials and vinaigrettes, as well as lots of things with apples, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, apricots and nectarines.

The only problem now is in keeping up with demand. Joan and Richard attend a number of farmers' markets and supply the shops run by the Durham Wildlife Trust, as well as making everything themselves.

"Sometimes I'm in the kitchen at 6am, starting work before setting off for a market," says Richard.

They're also soup makers, making gallons - or should we say litres - of home-made soups for the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope..

They currently make about 30 different products and are always trying more.

"This is still early days for us and it's a question of seeing what works best. But it's all been very encouraging so far," says Joan.

My friend Liz said the gingerette - made with ginger, chillies, lemon, orange, cinnamon and cloves is delicious diluted with hot water. So it is. But what's more, it's even better with whisky.

Cheers. Here's to Pickled Pink.

* Pickled Pink Preserves have a stall at Farmers' Markets in Darlington, Brough, Barnard Castle and Stanhope. They are also at the indoor market in Richmond on Fridays and Saturdays and you can buy their products at Low Barns nature reserve, Rainton Meadows and Bowlees.

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