Andy Parks of Niagara-on-the-Lake was shocked to learn last week that his Toad Hall seedless black raspberry jam had won top prize in the Raspberry Jam or Preserve - No Inclusions category at the 2023 Royal Winter Fair.
"I’ve always wanted to participate in the Royal Winter Fair,” says Parks, who grew up in Toronto and remembers attending the fair on school excursions as a young student. “I was surprised, but I knew it was fairly unique so I was hoping that would work in my favour. It obviously did.”
The award-winning jam, which is made from wild raspberries that grow right on his Lakeshore Road property, will be for sale during the annual St. Nicholas Day Craft Sale he is hosting on Dec. 2 and 3.
Before this year, the sale, a collaboration with local potter Jodie Godwin, was usually open to friends and family via invitation, but Parks, a potter as well as jam-maker, and Godwin, who have invited other artisans to offer their work, decided to make it public for its fourth year.
Along with the raspberry jam, plates, bowls, mugs, vases and other functional and artistic pottery creations from both Parks and Godwin will be available for purchase. Another local resident, Neeti Mehrota, will be selling her beaded jewelry. There will also be candles and other crafts available, and free cups of cider to anyone who comes in to browse.
Toad Hall is located at 1413 Lakeshore Road in NOTL, next to Ironwood Cider. The sale is on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact Andy at [email protected] for more information.
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