About Stratta

Mary and I produce an award winning range of delights from our home in East Sussex. We take great care in sourcing our ingredients - from our garden, from friends and neighbours, and from wonderful growers in Sussex, the Isle of Wight and Kent. In this way we can be certain of only using the finest fruits and flowers with the knowledge of exactly where each has been grown.

Succulent soft fruits, savoury herbs, spicy aromatics, single estate extra virgin olive oils, organically grown citrus fruits all offer their individual perfections in providing perfectly balanced combinations. Sweet fruit vinegars, rare flower vinegars, fruit balsamics, infused olive oils, salt preserved lemons, spiced fruits...and the list goes on. There seems no limit to our capacity for discovery, invention and the quest for fabulous flavours.

Mary stepped out of a long career in teaching to launch stratta in the summer of 2004. What had been a 25 year interest in the creation of delicious produce for family and friends using fruits, flowers and herbs now became all-absorbing. Such was the positive reaction of those who sampled the growing range on offer at Farmers' Markets and Fine Food Fairs in the South East that it became clear that one person alone could not meet the demand.

In the summer of 2005, I left my career in catering management to join Mary in the exciting venture. Together - a formidable force with creativity and exuberance, boundless enthusiasm, a real love of good food, a spirit of adventure and perhaps more than a hint of eccentricity. What a recipe!!

We are members of the 'Guild of Fine Food' and 'Food Lovers Britain'. Our products and recipes have featured in Sarah Raven's two inspirational cookbooks and our vinegars used in Robert Thompson's Michelin star restaurant at 'The Hambrough'. Two years ago, we were finalists in the Waitrose and Country Living Magazine 'Produced in Britain Awards' We have entered a number of our vinegars and oils for judging in the Great Taste Awards since 2005 and each time have achieved Gold Awards, culminating in the receipt this year's accolade of the Golden Fork for Best Ambient Product of 2011 for our raspberry vinegar. The equivalent of a culinary 'Oscar' we have been absolutely thrilled with the honour!