Hawkshead Relish Company

What Hawkshead Relish Company does

Hawkshead Relish Company is a UK-based artisan food manufacturer founded in 2001 by Mark and Maria Whitehead MBE. Established as a diversification from the founders' 1999 Lake District café after the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis, the company has operated continuously for 25 years under family ownership, producing handmade preserves, relishes, chutneys, jams, marmalades, sauces, and jellies. Production takes place in a restored 16th-century barn on the edge of Esthwaite Water using traditional open-pan methods, with a portfolio spanning 22 sub-categories and 80+ SKUs. Signature items include the World Innovation Award-winning Original Black Garlic Ketchup (built around a 45-day Black Garlic cooking process), the bestselling Westmorland Chutney, and the Black Garlic Range; products are nut-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian-friendly.

The company operates a company-owned retail shop in Hawkshead village centre and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at hawksheadrelish.com, with product prices ranging from £2.75 to £27.95 and free UK mainland delivery above £30. Wholesale distribution covers over 500 UK retail outlets, primarily specialty food and gift shops, and products are exported through partners to more than 20 countries, with named stockists in New York and Seattle for US customers (where direct shipping faces documented delays). The business is bootstrapped with no institutional investment or external parent, employs 28 local staff across two sites in Hawkshead (The Square and Esthwaite Old Hall Barn), and holds a SALSA food safety certification (last updated April 2023). A new Managing Director was appointed in 2023 as founders transitioned from day-to-day operations ahead of the company's 25th anniversary in 2024.

Name

Hawkshead Relish Company

Legal name

Hawkshead Relish Company Ltd

Website

https://hawksheadrelish.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawkshead Relish Company is a UK artisan food manufacturer producing handmade preserves, relishes, chutneys, jams, and sauces in the Lake District, selling via its website, 500+ UK retail outlets, and exports to 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hawkshead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (E-commerce): Online sales through their own e-commerce website, selling directly to consumers in the UK and internationally
2. Wholesale Distribution: Supplying products to over 500 retail outlets across the UK
3. International Export: Exporting products to over 20 countries worldwide

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hawkshead Relish Company produces and sells handmade artisanal preserves, relishes, chutneys, jams, marmalades, pickles, and sauces using traditional open pan production methods in the Lake District, UK. Products are distributed through the company's own e-commerce website, a Hawkshead retail shop, and over 500 UK retail outlets, with exports to more than 20 countries.

Product overview

Hawkshead Relish Company is an artisan producer of award-winning preserves, relishes, jams, chutneys, pickles, and sauces made by hand using traditional open pans in the Lake District. The product portfolio centres on 22 distinct sub-categories including Chutneys/Pickles/Relishes, Jams, Marmalades & Curds, Savoury Sauces, Sweet Sauces, Savoury Jellies, Black Garlic Range, Hot and Spicy Range, Couture Range, and Christmas/Seasonal Specialities. The company is known for its signature Black Garlic Ketchup (best-seller and World Innovation Award winner), Westmorland Chutney (first and bestselling product), and the Black Garlic Range. Additional offerings include gift packs/hampers, the Embellish With Relish Cookbook, fudge, mustards, slow cooker sauces, beer/alcohol, and Northern Pasta. All products are handmade, free from gluten and nuts, suitable for vegetarians, and many are vegan-friendly. The company has won over 80 Great Taste Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisanal Preserves and Jams
• Relishes
• Chutneys
• Marmalades
• Pickles
• Sauces
• Black Garlic

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 Great Taste Awards and 'Speciality Producer' Awards from the Guild of Fine Food
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sarson's: Heritage UK pickling vinegar and condiments brand owned by Mizkan, with broad grocery distribution. Comparable to Hawkshead Relish in the pickles/vinegars/condiments space but operates at significantly greater scale and mass-market positioning; useful as a benchmark for category reach.
• Colman's: Iconic UK mustard and condiments brand, now part of Unilever. Overlaps with Hawkshead Relish in mustards and savoury condiments; much larger scale with full grocery distribution, providing context for competitive dynamics in the UK condiments category.

Direct peers

• Cartwright & Butler: Yorkshire-based premium preserves, biscuits, and gift food brand with a strong gift-hamper business. Comparable to Hawkshead Relish in sweet and savoury preserves plus the curated gifting channel, with overlap in UK independent retail and online premium food gifting.
• Tracklements: UK-based premium producer of artisan condiments, mustards, chutneys, and sauces founded in Wiltshire. Closest direct comparable to Hawkshead Relish in terms of product mix (chutneys, mustards, sauces), premium positioning, and gift-led retail distribution through farm shops, delis, and premium grocers.
• Cottage Delight: Staffordshire-based maker of premium jams, marmalades, curds, chutneys, mustards, and gift hampers. Comparable to Hawkshead Relish across savoury preserves, sweet preserves, and gift-pack-led retail distribution through farm shops, garden centres, and independent grocers.
• Mrs Darlington's: Family-owned UK producer of premium jams, chutneys, pickles, and curds. Highly comparable to Hawkshead Relish in artisanal positioning, product range overlap (chutneys, jams, pickles), and reliance on farm shops, delis, and independent retailers rather than mainstream grocery.
• Wilkin & Sons (Tiptree): Heritage Essex-based preserves manufacturer famous for Tiptree jams, marmalades, and conserves. Direct peer in jams, marmalades, and preserves; larger scale than Hawkshead Relish but serves the same premium retail and food-service channels globally, including international export.
• The Bay Tree Food Company: Somerset-based artisan producer of premium preserves, pickles, chutneys, sauces, and gift hampers. Closely comparable to Hawkshead Relish in terms of handmade production, gift-led packaging, and premium independent retail distribution in the UK and overseas.
• Stokes Sauces: Essex-based artisan sauce producer offering ketchups, BBQ sauces, pasta sauces, and condiments. Highly relevant as Hawkshead Relish extends into ketchup and pasta sauce categories; both target premium independent retail and foodservice with a craft production story.

Regional players

• Follain: US-based specialty food and preserves retailer/brand curating artisanal jams, sauces, and condiments from small producers. Useful reference point for Hawkshead Relish's stated ambition to expand US distribution through premium stockists in New York and Seattle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hawksheadrelish
• Facebookfacebook.com/hawksheadrelishcompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/hawksheadrelish
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/hawksheadrelish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawkshead-relish-company-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawkshead Relish Company