CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has backed and congratulated a Yorkshire Dales jam maker on her appearance on last night's Dragon's Den appearance.

Rachel Kettlewell pitched her reduced jam making business, Fearne and Rosie, to the Dragons last night.

Rachel started her business three years ago while she was on maternity leave with her daughters Fearne and Rosie, using their names for her range of reduced sugar jams.

During his visit to Hawes, where the Fearne and Rosie jams are produced, Mr Sunak toured the production area and helped Mrs Kettlewell and Rosie label a batch of strawberry jam.

Mr Sunak said: "I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Rachel. She has a superb business with a great brand which taps into a number of consumer trends – like the desire to consume less sugary foods, particularly for our children.

“I am sure there is great potential to grow the business further in the Dales and I hope the Dragons see that potential too.”

Mrs Kettlewell said: "I was aware of the amount of sugar in a traditional jam recipe and experimented to create a healthier jam for my daughters."

She added that her range of jams and spreads use local ingredients where possible.