Bumblee's Preserves

13/09/2026

All set up & ready to welcome you all to Taunton Independent Market after a few months away. Look forward to seeing you there & if not have a fab Sunday & even better month.

Much love,

Francine x

12/09/2026

We’re making the most of what we’ve grown & from our local growers too. The Runner Bean harvest hasn’t been great this year, so hot. Just one of the joy of gardening 😆

Hopefully as customers you’ll understand we just have to go with the hand we are dealt and that locally grown means seasonal, but proper tasty & treasured whilst it’s available.

Meanwhile a few chutney batches finished bubbling away & all jarred ready to restock the shelves.

F x

11/09/2026

It’s Friday & I’m guessing you’re ready for the weekend.

Looking forward to Sunday & being back on Castle Green for Taunton Independent Market. Catching up with fellow producers & of course you lovely lot too.

Don’t forget to add Sunday’s market to your plans this weekend, come along, enjoy the music, soak up the atmosphere & of course stock up on some delicious preserves too 😉

Have a wonderful weekend & I hope to see you there.

Much love,

Francine x

Taunton Independent Market
📍 Castle Green, Taunton
📅 Sunday 13th Sept
⏰ 10am - 3pm

10/09/2026

A longer, deeper post than normal, but sometimes it helps awareness to have a little real life behind it. ❤️

It’s a hard one to write..

Many of you know I’ve always battled with mental health issues. In fact Bumblee’s was a result of it. Seeking solace in my garden & allotments, then preserving the gluts.

It’s always a battle & sometimes that battle can become too much for some 😢

Many years ago, I lost someone very dear to su***de. It broke mine & many others hearts.

As a teenager, I never understood what level of despair he must have reached. Well… years later, I reached that level myself.

I wasn’t alone or unloved. I had an amazing, supportive husband, a home, a job & so many things I should have been grateful for.

So why would I even think of ending it?

It wasn’t really about wanting to die per se; I wanted the all-consuming despair, being a burden, worry, years of self-loathing/hatred & feeling like I wasn’t worth the air I consumed to STOP.

The only thing that interrupted those thoughts, was recalling the ache of losing someone I loved to su***de. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving that pain with my amazing husband.

Eventually, I reached out for help. I’m incredibly grateful that I did.

Sadly, not everyone has that interruption & is in such a dark place they genuinely cannot see another way out.

If you ever get close to thinking you aren’t worth the air you consume, or you just want the pain/worry to stop. Please know you’re worth listening too, entitled to be here & truly deserve the chance to be happy my lovely.

Please reach out for help. Tell someone. A friend, partner, GP, a helpline, anyone. I’m happy to listen or offer a hug - I’m a hugger after all. ❤️

And, if you suspect someone’s struggling with life, let them know you’re there. Maybe make a coffee & listen, if they’ll talk. If not, just be there.

Sometimes it can be enough just to interrupt those thoughts to help someone get through the next few minutes & strong enough to move forwards.

For the love of Mother Nature, please be kind to your fellow human beings & to yourselves too.

With so very much love,

Francine x ❤️

Samaritans — call 116 123

***depreventionday

07/09/2026

Oh it smells sooooo good in here. Lots & lots of batches of what many of you have been waiting & asking for.

Yes I know it’s September, but this one has been requested since March - think that would have been a little early for Christmas 🤣 One customer described this as “The Good STUFF!” 😆

Not just for toast (I mean what Marmalade even is “just for toast”) this one is a perfect addition to the Christmas cheese platter, ideal with those leftovers on Boxing Day & THE one to glaze your Christmas ham .

Fruitiness of the thicker cut Blood Oranges, with Cranberry & lashing & lashing of Bourbon with notes of maple, oak & vanilla.

Yummy 😋

F x

05/09/2026

Yeap 111 sleeps until Christmas 🤣

I know it only September but it’s certainly festive in the kitchen, over the past few days. Need to make plenty to stock up the shelves.

Heady with Cherry Brandy as the pans bubble away with lots of my Merry Berry Jam on the go.

The tart fruity smell of Cranberries & maple’y sweet scent of the bourbon with the blood oranges in the Marmalade.

September or not, just wait, the selection boxes will be in the supermarkets any day now, if not already 😆

So the countdown begins, just call me Mrs Bumble-Clause 🤣 🤶

Have a great weekend my lovelies,

Francine x

02/09/2026

The 3 young Robins now have their colours & as you may hear just a little of in the background, they & their parents are no longer a unit but individuals chirping, calling & singing to calm their territory. Their song has been bouncing around from all directions for the last couple of days. This is actually the quietest it’s been for a while.
Hopefully it won’t come to fisticuffs 😆
Such beautiful little creatures & has been fun watching them feed together but now very much individuals 🥹

31/08/2026

Stock top up at Sustenance WsM grab yourselves some scrummy preserves along with some of their delicious baked goodies 😋

We've got a Bumblee’s - Award Winning Somerset Artisan Preserves restock in the house, including a couple of new additions. We've now added their Asian Dressing and a Pear Chutney, cause you never have too many chutneys, you just don't have enough cheese.

30/08/2026

As August slips away, we see some rain return 🙏🏻 , Summer fading into Autumn. September brings lots & lots of making for the C word (I’m not mentioning it yet 😆) & just a couple events for us. So do pop them your diary.

📌 Sun 13 Sept - Taunton Independent Market - Castle Green

📌 Sat 26th Sept - EAT Weston - Italian Gardens

Don’t forget if you’re heading to see us, you can preorder your favourites to save any disappointment. Just message or call, preferably by noon the day before, and I’ll hold them aside for you.

I hope to see some of you there. If not have an amazing September my lovelies,

Francine x

eat Festivals Taunton Independent Market

29/08/2026

Can you guess what we’re making today? 🤣

Just a few Strawberries to prep & pump up that jam on the dance floor - or in our case, hit the kitchen & bring up to a rolling boil 🤪

Have a cracking fun filled day my lovelies,

Francine x