A business that started in a Longridge kitchen has landed a deal to supply the renowned Ribble Valley Michelin-starred restaurant, Northcote.
Pete’s Pantry is run by Longridge-based husband and wife team Pete and Gemma Slinger and produces a range of preserves, jams, marmalades, curds, chutneys, relishes, oils and dressings from a specially repurposed shed at their home off Lower Lane.
And with their jam, marmalade and honey now on the breakfast menu at Langho-based Northcote, the deal marks a major step forward for a business that started out small for the couple.
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Pete said: “We started making a few chutneys and jams for family and friends to use up fruit from the allotment and then sold a few via an honesty box in Goosnargh, which is where I was working at the time. From there we started doing artisan markets and the business really took off.
“The deal with Northcote came about because they were looking for local preserves and our name popped up on Google and they gave us a call and we went down to meet them.
“We were overwhelmed to be asked to supply them and never expected something like this to happen.”
For Pete, who now works as a business consultant having spent years working as a sales manager for a chemical company, the growth of Pete’s Pantry has come at the right time. It’s a similar story for Gemma who spent 25 years working in the NHS and is also now working for herself.
Pete said: “The business literally started in our kitchen. I always had a passion for cooking and it has grown from there and has really been a bit of a whirlwind.
“We source everything locally if we can’t grow it ourselves and take a lot of pride in what we do.”
With Pete’s Pantry products available in local shops and delis and also being distributed by Longridge firm Clegg’s Food Service, Pete is keen to keep growing the business but ensure it retains its artisan roots at the same time.
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