Janine “Jay” Greengrass is a woman of many talents. How do I know this? Because the mum-of-three has excelled in a number of different industries over the years – and the most recent two are worlds apart, to say the least.
It all started when Jay, from Fettercairn, left university in the 90s with a double engineering degree.
The now 52-year-old worked as an IT management consultant before gaining a private pilot’s licence, leading to a 16-year-long career at the RAF as a navigator and training officer.
Once Jay and her husband Jon welcomed their third child, she accepted it was time to retire. But what did the future hold for Jay?
‘I didn’t wake up one morning and decide I was going to sell preserves,’ says now multi-award-winning Jay
“Wrangling three kids under the age of four was tougher than anything I ever did in the services, and a lot more fun,” says Jay.
“When we lived in Moray, my husband and I used to take the kids foraging to persuade them to go on longer walks. I started turning the berries into jams and jellies.
“I learned from a book and at first it’s fair to say I was pretty rubbish. But I hate being beaten at anything, so I persevered.”
Jay regularly practiced, experimented and read about the art of preserve making to develop her skills. She admitted to being her own “harshest critic”.
“Like most microbusinesses, I didn’t wake up one morning and decide I was going to start a business and it was going to be selling preserves,” she adds.
“It was a combination of sudden bills of pay, unrelenting difficulty finding work around school and childcare, and discovering that people genuinely liked my preserves.”
A toast to the launch of Mearns Marmalades in 2018 – what kind of preserves does Jay sell?
Jay researched and followed all legislation before launching Mearns Marmalades in 2018.
Today, she has 15 marmalades, 11 jams, eight chutneys, four jellies and four fruit cheeses in the business’ portfolio.
The entrepreneur also makes a chutney and two marmalades exclusively for other businesses, and supplies a list of self-catering establishments with preserves for their hampers.
Jay says: “My medium-heat chilli jam, Chilli Chilli Bang Bang, is my best-selling product. It was also my first product to win a Great Taste Award back in 2021.
“Peach melba is probably my most popular jam.
“And my Fettery Orange marmalade (containing bitter Seville oranges with lashings of Fettercairn 12-year-old single malt whisky) is particularly popular just before Christmas.”
Courgette curry chutney, margarita preserve, red grapefruit and cranberry marmalade, cranachan raspberry and whisky jam, and crab apple jelly are among the other products on offer.
Jam-packed days full of hard graft for Mearns Marmalades owner to perfect each batch
Jay’s hours vary when it comes to making the range.
A jam takes roughly four hours from start-to-finish, while three days are required to perfect a marmalade.
Ingredients are locally sourced where possible with stock provided by Turriffs of Montrose, Castleton Farm, Mearns Chilli Farm and Charleton Farm, to name a few.
“I buy my ingredients when they’re in season, so my year falls into rhythms,” the business owner said.
“I work seven days a week and 16 hours a day through January because that’s the only time I can get Seville oranges. I have to hand slice about 100kg of oranges…
“Harvest time – August and September – is crazy busy too because I’m making chutneys, jellies and jams and also trying to do as many stalls as I can.
“March and October are for plotting, planning and training.
“You definitely have to be a jack-of-all-trades when you work for yourself. I love that aspect, it keeps my brain ticking over and keeps me out of mischief.”
A whirlwind five years resulting in award wins
The Mearns Marmalades range is available in 12 stores and cafes across the north-east, including Aberdeen’s The Bread Maker.
Jay also attends the monthly Torphins Market and various other events and fairs, which her kids lend a hand at on occasion.
Over the years, she has picked up a string of industry awards for her products.
“Last year was quite a year,” says Jay.
“I won a gold medal for my orange and chilli marmalade at the World Marmalade Awards. Dan Lepard mentioned it in the Times too.
“It was also declared one of the five Fortnum’s Choices so was stocked at Fortnum & Mason in London for a year.”
Out of 14,000 international entries, the talent’s redcurrant and rosemary fruit cheese won a three-star Great Taste Award that same day. Only 241 three-star awards were handed out.
Jay has also won eight silver and two bronze medals at the last three World Marmalade Awards and was a finalist at this year’s North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards for Best New Product.
The list goes on…
Is teaching others how to produce preserves on the horizon for the mum-of-three?
Jay went on to say: “I’m so chuffed that years of hard work and relentlessly trying to perfect recipes helped me to learn then master a skill.
“I love how friendly and encouraging other small businesses and fellow market traders within the north-east are too.
“Working alongside and collaborating with people who are just as passionate about food as me is as good as any job can get.”
In terms of her future endeavors, she added: “I’m definitely not expanding into a factory, even a small one!
“All my previous jobs, even when I was a teen, have eventually incorporated some kind of teaching. Who knows, maybe that lies ahead for Mearns Marmalades too?”
Conversation