Radnor Preserves was founded by Joanna Morgan in 2010 and is a multi-award-winning artisan producer of magnificent marmalades, premium preserves and champion chutneys based in the Heart of Wales. We are an all female team.
- What inspired you to start your business?
I originally lived in an off-grid cottage with no electricity nor road and needed to preserve my harvest of fruit and vegetables that I had grown in my garden. I turned to my grandfather’s recipe book and copper pan for inspiration, creating marmalades and chutneys by candlelight, and giving hampers to friends and family at Christmas. At that point preserve-making was purely a hobby, I never intended to set it up as a business, but more and more people kept asking how they could buy the products, so I test-traded at local Farmers’ Markets, kept selling out, and then launched Radnor Preserves.
- How did you create awareness for your brand?
Farmers’ markets, food festivals, trade shows, word of mouth, networking, website, social media, newsletters, press and winning awards.
- What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?
The Food & Drink Department at the Welsh Government offers various support packages which have been invaluable throughout our business growth. During Covid we needed to move to larger premises to enable social distancing, rather than operating from two smaller units. Both that move, and a recent business growth grant from our local council for capital equipment has helped us semi-automate our production line. We are now in a strong position to fulfil substantial orders more efficiently, supply more customers and scale the business.
- What have been your biggest successes so far?
Receiving Double Gold at the World Marmalade Awards in 2015 and the prize of a year’s listing at Fortnum & Mason was a massive turning point. Winning Best Entrepreneur at the Powys Business Awards sponsored by the Welsh Government and being honoured as One of Britain’s Top 10 Finest Artisan Food Producers by Olive Magazine the following year. We’ve won many more awards since and they’ve all been highlights: winning the Best Marmalade at the Great British Food Awards from 2018-2024; Best Food & Drink Manufacturer at the Made in Wales Awards 2020; Overall Gold Winner, Chutney & Marmalade at the Cheese Board Awards 2022-2024; Best Artisan Food Producer – Wales – Global Vegan Awards 2021;Artisan Food Specialist, Innovation & Excellence Awards 2022; Chosen as one of the top dozen best SMEs in the UK by The Gibson Index 2019; Featured as leading example of innovation and iconic brand, Taste Wales 2021; Winner, Artisan Food Specialist of the Year, Global Awards 2022/23; Best Artisan Preserves Manufacturer 2023 – Wales – Research & Development Awards 2023; Overall Gold Winner, Kington with Dalemain World Marmalade Awards 2024; Best Artisan Fruit Preserves & Spreads Brand 2024, British Made Awards 2024; Preserve Brand of the Year, Global Awards 2024/25. We’ve also received some fantastic quotes:
“The real wizard of the marmalade world”Nigel Barden to Simon Mayo, Scala Radio;
“For luxury marmalade that would blow Paddington Bear’s socks off, look no further than Radnor Preserves.” Time Out;
“This is what the Gods eat in heaven, and now me” Customer review
“Your chutney is the stuff of legends – wow!” Customer review
“I am still yet to find a better marmalade than Radnor’s – if you haven’t tried it, you haven’t lived!” Customer review
“Paddington is causing marmalade to fly off the shelves – these are the jars to try now” Xanthe Clay, The Daily Telegraph December 2024
“My Magic Ingredient” Felicity Cloake, Fine Food Digest
“This marmalade has changed my life” Customer review
“Thick cut, traditional marmalade – a gutsy breakfast – very good indeed!” William Sitwell
“Best British Marmalade to buy now – a real standout” Great British Food Magazine, 2025
We currently supply Ocado, and feature on their Female Founders digital aisle as part of the Buy Women Built Campaign to celebrate International Women’s Day during March 2025; have just launched a unique stunning gift set that celebrates the Cambrian Mountains where we are based in Wales for local visitor centres and accommodation providers – our Hand-Cut Pumlumon Marmalade infused with wild mountain gorse, has inspired visitors to the area to climb Pumlumon Fawr, the highest of the Cambrian Mountains – when your marmalade inspires people to climb mountains, that is incredible; and we are exporting to Japan where our products are being served on the menu at the British Embassy in Tokyo; and to the Middle East.
- What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
As an SME, the business can be nimble, and adapt accordingly. There have been plenty of external challenges in recent years from Brexit, Covid, and the ongoing international crises, all of which have impacted. A lesson learned the hard way early on was not to rely on supplying only one customer who wanted exclusivity. When they changed their mind, it took a while to build up a new customer base. Radnor Preserves now supplies across multiple channels. If one or more channel is compromised eg during Covid when all the bricks and mortar stores and hospitality customers we supplied had to close, we survived because we were also supplying the digital retailer Ocado, had our own e-commerce store, and were exporting to the Middle East and Far East.
- What are your plans for the future?
To continue to supply our existing customers well, scale the business and gain new listings, locally, nationally and internationally.
- What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Don’t try and do it on your own. Join a supportive group such as Buy Women Built, Enterprise Nation or your local Chamber of Commerce all of whom provide amazing advice for start-ups and beyond.
- What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?
Perseverance, innovation and a strong team.
- Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?
There are too many people to narrow down to five: my family, friends and mentors all inspire me and continue to do so, and I’m incredibly grateful to all of them.
What the team at Buy Women Built is achieving right now is on another level – their championing of Female Founders is particularly inspiring and I feel very honoured to be part of their network.
- What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?
The mottos: omnia audax – courage in all things – and per ardua, ad astra – through challenges, the stars – have been handed down by my family and continue to give me great strength.
- Where can our readers connect with you?
Instagram @radnorpreserves
Website www.radnorpreserves.com
