Family jams get thumbs up from Perth judges

For several decades, Leonie Wallis’ family has enjoyed mouth-watering mango jams, chutneys and sauces whipped up from fruit grown on her 12 Mile property.

For the past six years, Broome locals and visitors have also had a taste after Ms Wallis caved into pressure from her family and started selling her products.

From her thriving stall at the Broome Courthouse market, she sells the jams, chutneys, relishes and vinegars.

The business is a family affair. Her daughter Karen helps with all the chopping and preparation.

Each season they chop, par-cook and process fruit ready to be turned into products all year round.

Several weeks ago, Wallis entered the Royal Show’s Small Business Awards cookery section in Perth.

“I’ve never entered anything in my life so I thought I’d give it a go, I thought maybe they might just give me a letter of commendation,” she said.

She took out three first places and three second places for her mango products. Her mango and pawpaw jam, chunky mango and chilli sauce and mango and passionfruit sauce all received second place in their respective categories.

Her mango and chilli jam was voted best savoury jam, her pickled pawpaw won the pickle category and her mango vinegar won its class.

Wallis said she was told judges had never tasted pickled pawpaw before, a recipe she created herself.

Mildly stunned but chuffed at the recognition, she plans to enter more products into different categories next year.

She also grows rosellas to turn into jams and sauces and plans to start experimenting with bananas.