We were delighted to include Rubies in the Rubble in our recent Create-curated food festival here at Plaisterers’ Hall. Rubies in the Rubble provided a food stall with their delicious relishes, all lovingly handmade from fresh fruit and vegetables that would otherwise have been discarded. Rubies in the Rubble is different because all ingredients used just have to pass a taste test – not a beauty contest! We caught up with founder Jenny Costa to find out more about this unique company.
What tips would you give so we can all cut down on the amount of food waste at home?
My three top tips for cutting down food waste at home would be:
- Know what’s in your fridge and when you shop, make a shopping list so that you only buy what you actually need.
- Plan recipes or meals around what you have. Get creative, substitute ingredients in recipes to incorporate what you have.
- Get to know your freezer… it is not just for forgotten peas and emergency pizzas! You can freeze just about anything to retain its freshness, so make the most of it!
The festive season is upon us and it’s a time of excess – Do you have any recipes that readers can try to make use of Christmas dinner leftovers?
There is certainly a lot of waste at Christmas time which can often be avoided! We love making veg peel crisps out of carrots, potatoes and parsnips. They are so simple to make – just take the peelings from any spuds or root vegetables that you’re preparing, whack them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, cumin and chilli powder!
What are your favourite food combinations with your relishes?
My favourite relish at the moment is our Spicy Tomato – I’m slightly obsessed and literally have it with everything – it’s great with roast veg, sandwiches, burgers…anything! For breakfast today I had it with poached eggs on a slice of sourdough toast with some smashed avocado and a poached egg… nothing better!
Can you tell us more about the latest edition to your pickle portfolio?
We are really excited about our latest addition- an exclusive, limited edition Christmas chutney, created exclusively for Fortnum and Mason. This Pear, Fig & Port chutney is made from surplus British pears and goes perfectly with a cheese board or cold meats. Better still, £1 from every jar sold is donated to Centrepoint to help give young homeless people a future. You can view the online shop here.
Who was your food hero growing up?
I had a few food heroes when I was growing up – my granny was one, although mainly for her delicious cookies! And Delia Smith’s ‘At Home’ was certainly a very well-thumbed book from my childhood – she was key to a lot of my essential cooking knowledge – a white sauce, sponge cake, gravy or jelly. But when it comes to chutney, my mum was the queen of the kitchen! Her rhubarb relish was a staple for meal times all year around in our family!
What is next on the horizon for the team?
We’re really excited for the future of Rubies in the Rubble. We are currently developing an exciting new range of products, the first of which to launch will be our Top Banana ketchup, which is based on a limited edition banana chutney that we made last year. It is now coming back by very popular demand! We recommend it with sweet potato fries, chicken and halloumi cheese… it gives a fantastic Caribbean twist to any dish!
A special Christmas offer
With autumn upon us and Christmas festivities on their way, we have the perfect solution to the conundrum of finding that gift with a difference for your clients, propsects and partners…
This year, Rubies in the Rubble is very pleased to be able to offer their limited edition Pear Fig & Port Christmas Chutney, created exclusively for Fortnum & Mason.
To see their full range, head to the online shop here. For free delivery & discounts on orders over £50, please contact alicia@rubiesintherubble.com.
For 20% off their online shop, enter CHRISTMAS20 at checkout.
To find out more about their amazing products, inspired recipes to help reduce waste or to purchase some pickle, please go to their website.
