Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Cohen.
Robin founder of Doves and Figs, learned to make jam from her Dad and great aunts when she was a young girl. After winning multiple canning awards at local and state fairs, Robin decided to try her hand at selling preserves at the farmers markets on the weekend. She owned a successful computer company at the time and although she had always dreamed of owning a food business, this weekend job was just for fun. Robin named the business Doves and Figs after a biblical passage that talks about the how lovely it is to hear the song of the dove and see all the fruit ripening after a long winter. She made jams in her licensed home kitchen and kept selling out at the markets. Once the wholesale inquiries started coming in, she decided to take the business more seriously. Now her preserves are in many stores and markets in New England and beyond and she recently opened a commercial kitchen and shop in North Andover, MA.
Doves and Figs turns locally-gathered fruits into hand-made preserves with unique flavor combinations and whimsical names such as Evil Apple or Picnic in Paris. Robin draws her inspiration for her jams, chutneys, and fruit mustards from family recipes and from the pages of her large antique cookbook collection. By creating spreads with much less sugar and no artificial ingredients Doves and Figs keeps the focus on the flavor of the fruit. Robin and her Jam Ladies simmer the fruit in small batches with pure cane sugar and an array of creative spices, spirits, and even chocolate to make her preserves.
Doves and Figs preserves have won many awards including a Good Food Award for sustainable food products, World Marmalade Award, and Yankee Magazine Editors’ Choice Award.
Robin is a member of the prestigious culinary service organization Les Dames d’ Escoffier, teaches canning and cooking classes and is writing a book on farms and seasonal cooking.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
All small businesses have struggles. In the beginning, it was mostly about keeping up with customer demand in a small home kitchen. Today our biggest challenge is sourcing the amount of local fruit we need and getting everything purchased and prepped before the short growing season ends. Luckily we also have great farmer partners who work with us every year and our jam team is ready to meet the challenges.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are looking to expand our offerings to include some new lines of preserves. Also some new products that will follow our sourcing and flavor ways as our preserves but will be a new category of delicious things and that is all I will say for now. Stay tuned for updates later this year!
Contact Info:
- Address: 733 Turnpike Street
North Andover, MA - Website: www.dovesandfigs.com
- Phone: 855-285-JAMS
- Email: info@dovesandfigs.com
- Instagram: @dovesandfigs
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dovesandfigskitchen
- Twitter: @dovesandfigs
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