University of Chester graduate sees family jam recipe launched in Sainsbury’s stores

Aug 4 2011 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

University of Chester graduate sees family jam recipe launched in Sainsbury’s stores

A FAMILY recipe led to sweet success for a University of Chester business studies graduate.

Sajmira Cairns and her husband Andrew have seen their Mammy Jamia’s range of preserves picked up by Sainsbury’s.

The Wirral couple started out with a single batch of 600 jars that sold out from their market stall in Ellesmere Port in just seven weeks.

Andrew, from Liverpool, said: “Sajmira’s mother Jamia has been making jam for her friends and family for a long time and she has a wonderful family recipe.

“I couldn’t see anything like it in the shops and I wondered if there could be a gap in the market.”

They sent the recipe to a producer, who made 600 jars of the apple, pear and fig flavours.

Albanian-born Sajmira said: “Even though we both had our full-time jobs we went to Ellesmere Port market and sold the jam on our stall every Saturday. That first batch sold in seven weeks.

“We collected questionnaires asking people what they thought and the responses were really positive.”

The next step was the most bold, but was the turning point for the business after Andrew sent samples to supermarkets.

“We were invited to London to pitch to the preserves head buyer for Sainsbury’s,” he said.

“After creating some suitable commercial labels they agreed to stock Mammy Jamia’s in 216 stores nationwide.”

The brand has been on sale for around a month and has made a really good start.

Andrew added: “We took a product from a market stall to Sainsbury’s, which shows that if you have an idea and the passion to give something a try, then you might just succeed.”

Mammy Jamia’s is available at Sainsbury’s in Chester and Cheshire Oaks.