Did you know that there are important distinguishing characteristics that set apart jams from jellies, and preserves from marmalades? Well, there are. To be honest, I wouldn’t let them keep you awake at night; let the experts such as Lillie O’Brien at London Borough of Jam look after the details and just enjoy the delicious fruits of her labour.
Lillie, former pastry chef at St John Bread and Wine, has gone solo by opening this cute little shop in Clapton with a real artisanal workshop feel to it. London Borough of Jam is announced to the world via a great window graphic and is decked out with attractive terracotta floor tiling and rustic fittings. The shop has got every kind of gooey goodness you could think of, and plenty more besides, with traditional favourites and adventurous new flavour combinations to try. Lillie’s first rule of jam is to never mix your fruits — the main fruit ingredient stands alone or is enhanced by adding other non-fruit components, as seen in creations that include white peaches with fennel pollen, and raspberry and liquorice. LBJ recipes add no commercial pectins, use natural unrefined sugars and fruit sourced from the UK, Italy, France and Spain.
Photography, Joe Woodhouse
