[Beetroot queen]

I rent two allotments from the council and know in the t and c's it says we cant sell produce from the allotment, completely understand the rules but I know people sell jams and chutneys that they have made from veg or fruit from the plot.

Is this allowed, so many people have asked me to sell them some jam or chutney and to date I have been giving it away but I would like to charge a small amount to cover sugar and jars etc (why dont people ever return the jars) 

[Cazzy]

Can't help you with your question sorry.  What I would say though is selling food stuffs is a tricky business these days with labeling laws etc.

Maybe a donation to your jam jar fund would work?

[DD.]

To my way of thinking selling is if you ask for cash for your produce and put a price on it. If people want to give to you that's different. I wouldn't refuse any offer!

I hope so, as my produce has raised £405 since November, although the proceeds don't go into my pocket.

[Sue33]

I don't think anyone would be worried about a couple of quids, i think it's in the terms and conditions to stop commercial growing not small amounts of produce between friends,

[Beetroot queen]

Ok thanks for the help on that one  will carry on the jam and chutney making

[PlymouthMaid]

Things like this are a minefield these days. What would happen, hypothetically, if somebody got food poisoning and decided to sue the lovely jam maker?

[Salmo]

Just carry on and keep producing stuff that others enjoy eating.

If you look too closely you need public liability insurance, hygien certificates, approved kitchen with no dogs, cats, children to spread germs.

[beansticks]

The country has gone bonkers,in our area you are not even allowed to take home made cakes etc in to schools for their fetes.

[Babyshoes]

I think if you called it it a 'suggested donation' of 'a quid or so' (or 'a couple of quid' - word it carefully to get the amount you would like)  to cover the costs involved, most people would happily give you some money, and since you are not selling it to make a profit just wanting cover your costs you would probably be ok legally. As others have said, I think this is more to deter people who grow to sell commercially rather than to friends. I think it would be different if you were to sell it at a car boot sale or market stall, for example.

It is a bit of a legal grey area, but I doubt they would go to the effort of prosecuting you if they happend to catch you, as firstly it would probably not be in the public interest, secondly the amounts involved sound like they are fairly small, and also you could argue that you were not selling the produce part of the jam at all, just covering the cost of (or even making a profit from) the other ingredients, your time, electricity/gas and the jar. (I have been looking for jars to make jam recently and am amazed at the price of them! Sainsburys basics 4p curry sauce and 15p mint sauce work out a lot cheaper, even if you bin the sauce!) 

Perhaps you could also put a note on the label about returning the jar, and donating any others they happen to have which would otherwise go in the recycling bin. I have also had some success with asking for jars on Freecycle.

I wish we had enough fruit from our allotment to make jam - the only fruit we have had enough of so far (it is our first year) is blackberries from the existing brambles on the site! We have of course made several jars of jam and jelly from it already, and may make a few more if we get time to pick this weekend. Other jam experiments have mostly been made from squishy marked down fruit at the supermarket or market stalls, and from a 'pick your own' farm we visited. (The fruit worked out very reasonable and it was a fun day out. I would recommend it!)

[peterjf]

the hull city council say , we can sell our surplus produce at cost price ,

e.g i sell my surplus tomatoes seedlings grown on into 3 inch pots at 20p each ,

a lady who sells her jams and chunty in our distribution centre charges £1-50 a jar,

good luck