Our Story

Our products are still made in small batches, the old-fashioned way, and without adding any artificial ingredients. They have a two-year shelf-life and are proof that chemical additives are unnecessary to making these condiments. We called the business Belcour Preserves because we are preserving fruit and vegetables but also preserving tradition.

Belcour Preserves is the quintessential “stovetop to supermarket” story. It began as a hobby stirring up concoctions in the kitchen, making condiments the traditional way in our kitchen like our grandparents prepared for their tables and as gifts. We went from gifting preserves to friends and family, to selling the products at farmer’s markets, to supplying hotels, stores, and supermarkets!

Over the years we have developed relationships with many local farmers. We use locally-sourced, fresh, produce and to make our condiments because Jamaican fruits, vegetables and spices are some of the best in the world. They make our products taste truly delicious. We employ a small team of people to harvest honey, label products, or prepare massive crates of fruit and vegetables in preparation for taking them to the factory for processing.

Some years after moving to Belcour we turned the seven-acre property into a productive farm. We grow pineapples, citrus guava, and a large variety of fruit trees. In thinking about other ways to engage in sustainable food production, we became interested in beekeeping. One bright Sunday morning in 2006 we received the first two colonies of bees, and a few months later reaped our first bucket of honey. Tasting the first delicious harvest, we became honey-drunk from the sweet bounty.

A year later we had ten colonies and a few years later that multiplied to fifty. We started adding a small amount to each batch of jam or hot sauce to “round out” the flavour. We found that the honey made everything more delicious. Honey is our “secret” ingredient.

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