Armoy farmer’s wife makes thousands of puddings for customers

Talented chef Amanda, a mother of four, baked around a thousand in the first week of November and was delighted to hear celebrity chef Paula McIntyre of ‘Hamely Kitchen’, the hit BBC cookery series, say she would choose her Christmas pudding rather than mix her own!

Paula, the local food champion, says she’d opt for Amanda’s pudding because of its homemade quality and taste “without the hassle”. “I love her puddings. They are so rich and tasty,” adds Paula.

Amanda, the entrepreneurial owner of the Jam at the Doorstep farm shop, which is open from Thursday to Saturday, on the family’s dairy holding outside the Co Antrim village also helps husband Arthur milk their 150-strong dairy herd.

“I am passionate about cooking, especially puddings like sticky toffee and, of course the traditional Christmas puddings, on the range in the kitchen at home,” Amanda says. “I’d make Christmas puddings for family, friends and as gifts. Those who tasted the puddings encouraged me to think about making them commercially.”

Further encouragement for the business came in the shape of UK Great Taste Awards, among the most influential food and drink competitions in the UK, RoI and further afield. Amanda gained Great Taste gold stars for her sticky toffee and Christmas puddings.

The recipe for the Christmas pudding is a closely guarded family secret, insists Amanda. Alongside the traditional ingredients such as cherries and other fruit, she admits to adding a touch of Guinness!

“It’s a very old family recipe that’s been handed down over the generations,” she explains.

“Feedback about the Christmas puddings started me thinking about setting up a small business on the farm at which I could sell these and the jams, curds, salted caramel sauces and chutneys I’d also been making for years."

She subsequently decided to set up a small shop in an old stone building in the farmyard and widen the farm shop idea by stocking the shelves with her own products along with food from other local artisan suppliers.

“I’ve been immensely encouraged by the shoppers calling at the farm shop for the best local produce since its launch in 2020,” she says.

“My business started when I decided to make some jam and I sold it from a box on the back door step hence - the name ‘Jam at the Doorstep’. The level of interest has also encouraged me to extend the existing building for more local products and also to include a kitchen to enable me to step up production of puddings."

The extension work on the farm shop is scheduled to be completed by early 2023. Amanda also regularly runs workshops showing participants how to make their own chutneys, jams and curds.

Amanda was helped by the Foodovation Centre at the North West Regional College in Londonderry with guidance on upscaling production of her existing puddings and those planned in the months ahead. Foodovation’s Karen Marren, the technical consultant in food technology at the successful and important food facility.

“Foodovation’s advice and guidance were invaluable,” Amanda continues. “Karen was excellent and contributed to the development of my small business in so many ways and especially on how best to upscale production to meet growing demand.

“Karen also helped me to secure an Innovation Voucher to help fund work at the centre, enabling me to access the large oven and other production facilities there, in particular.”

Amanda has also been able to access a Rural Development Grant from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs towards the further development of the enterprising business in areas such as fresh milk vending and yoghurt production next year