As the longest night passes our thoughts inevitably turn to the new boating season and trading options open to us.

For 2017 we are planning a big southerly loop taking in the Kennet and Avon Canal to Bath and Bristol and then down to London before returning to the Midlands in the autumn. 

We will spend the winter months making the most of the Seville Orange season, stocking up with our firm favourites: Sloe Gin Fizz Marmalade and Sloe Whisky Seville Marmalade, which will last us most of the season.

We will then kick off the 2017 trading season at St Richards Festival in Droitwich, out customary starting point in the lovely spa town. Here we will meet up with lots of our boating friends after a long winter ashore. Then its back to Birmingham and the Coombswood Trust open weekend at Hawne Basin set on the evocatively named Dudley No2 Canal.

Having blown the cobwebs out of the Jam Butty we are setting out on an unstructured two month journey to Bristol and then on to Ware taking in London as we travel. Whilst we wont be attending any formal events during this time, we will be holding preserve tasting sessions wherever possible. These sessions have been very popular and we will keep our map up to date so you can seek us out for your very own tasting if you so desire. This period will coincide with the strawberry, raspberry and wild cherry season, so I expect there will be lots of jam making in the warmth of early summer.

We have never been into London with the boats, so this will be a first. By good fortune the IWA is holding its annual Ware Boat Festival at just the right time which offers a very good reason to explore more new water along the Lee and Stort Navigations, as well as passing under the shadow of what will be Andy's then ex employers in Canary Wharf.

From Ware we will be travelling back up the Grand Union and attending three canal festivals at Cosgrove, Linslade and Blisworth which are convemiently spread out two week apart. This timing spread is important because it takes us neary two weeks to replenish our stocks between festivals and hopefully includes lots of delicious cherry plums.

After Blisworth we have a month to make our way northwards through Braunston and Leamington Spa to Birmingham making the most of the plum harvest which abounds in the area and also making the most of the blackberry season which form the basis of so many jams and chutneys. 

We will round off the trading season on familiar territory, meeting up with many friends at Netherton and then journeying on in a small flotilla of trade boats to Lichfield, hopefully picking plenty of apples, damsons and pears ready for the autumn chutney making season.

Full details of the festivals we will be attending can be found on our Location page, as well as the current position of our boats. Do seek us out and try some of our delicious preserves.