Tomato Chutney

Machines are great for many things. But tasting food isn’t one of them. For that you need skilled people – chefs, bakers, cooks, jam makers; people with the experience and the taste buds to be able to make the minute adjustments necessary to get something tasting perfect.

Tracklements, the company that makes our tomato chutney, is full of such people.

The founder was a butcher called William Tullberg from Wiltshire. Bored with processed mustards, he unearthed a recipe for mustard from a seventh-century book and had a go at making his own. Nearly forty years later, the company he founded is run by his son, Guy, and has diversified into all kinds of pickles, relishes and sauces. It still values tradition, though, particularly the cook’s art of experimentation and refinement.

The chutney is made from a delicious mix of tomatoes, onions, dates, and Bramley apples, which are chopped and mixed by hand. Into a pan it goes with spices and cider vinegar, before being slow boiled for 90 minutes in small batches.

And how do you know when it’s ready? When it tastes right – something you judge not by machinery, but by feel and experience.

The high acidity of the chutney means there’s no need for artificial preservatives.

We think that's what the spirit of good food is all about.