Follain Traditional Blackcurrant Jam - 370g

Blackcurrant runs right through a childhood on that side of the water: the squash, the sweets, the purple tongue. The jam is the grown-up end of it, tart enough to cut through butter and cream, and the one that gets defended at breakfast with real feeling.

People in Canada tend to come looking for it after a very specific craving. A jam tart like the ones from school dinners, a sponge with something sharper than raspberry in the middle, or simply toast the way it tasted at home. Once the thought arrives, it does not leave.

It comes in a 370g jar, a good size for a household that takes its toast seriously. It sits quietly in the cupboard until you open it, then it goes in the fridge and gets visited far more often than anyone plans. Spread it, bake with it, swirl it through yoghurt.

Follain makes jams, chutneys and preserves, so it is worth a look at what else is on the shelf. Most people put this in the basket next to scones, crumpets and a decent box of tea, which is exactly the right instinct.