Chutney maker makes special recipe to celebrate Queen's jubilee

David Burton, who lives in Harnham, has been making chutney for a number of years and set up Burton’s Best Specialist Chutneys.

This is not David’s first special edition. He released a chutney to mark Salisbury Cathedral’s 800th anniversary in 2020.

He also made one to mark the anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015 - using ingredients that would have been available 800 years ago.

The limited edition jubilee chutney is made with cranberries, toasted walnuts, port and ginger.

David has crossed paths with Her Royal Highness the Queen, including being at her coronation in June 1953.

When he was a Royal Navy cadet, aged around 18, he took part in the celebrations to mark the coronation along with other cadets from the armed forces, who lined Parliament Square in London and was passed by the royal procession.

Also that year when he was in the navy and he served onboard HMS Sheffield which was the naval escort for the Queen and Prince Philip during a commonwealth tour and transported them across the Pacific before they boarded another ship to continue their journey.

He recalls all the men on the ship “dressed in their best uniforms” marching past the Queen but admits she only would have seen the "top of most of our heads".

Speaking about the inspiration for the jubilee recipe he said: “I just thought back to the time and the Queen. I couldn’t think of anything particularly special.

“I couldn’t have mango chutney as I do mango, lime and ginger. It’s got to be tasty but it can’t be too hot or spicy or too bland.

“That is the difficulty, trying to get something the majority of people will like.”

In addition to his special edition chutneys he makes more traditional flavours such as caramelised red onion and mango, lime and ginger just to name a few.

“It is fascinating when you know nothing about a subject and really interesting when you get into it and get it going,” added David, who is a former submariner.

He started out making it for family and in 2008 started making it commercially - selling it at the market in Salisbury. 

David used to make around 20 different chutneys, which are all made by hand, but says he had to scale it down over the years.

His chutneys have previously also received Taste of the West Awards.

The limited edition Platinum Jubilee Celebration Chutney has been created exclusively for Salisbury Cathedral.

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