Marble Hill Chocolatier founder Bill Sands has started a new foodie endeavor, bringing his artisan production techniques to the world of jams and jellies.
Sands launched
Marble Hill Provisions, a line of all natural specialty jams, jellies, marmalades and relishes late last fall. Recent seasonal flavors include fig, pear and quince Ginger jams, cranberry orange marmalade and cucumber bell pepper relish.
Sands, who lives in Union, Ky. began introducing the line at local farmers' markets last year. Eventually, he built a small wholesale clientele including local shops
Coffee Emporium, Fresh Market and
Piazza Discepoli. Most recently
Park + Vine has begun carrying the line.
The line is made in small batches, mostly by Sands who enlists help from his wife and family for larger orders. He develops the flavor pairings himself and works from home, and in rented commercial kitchens.
It's a much more scaled down operation than Marble Hill Chocolatier which had a storefront in O'Bryonville and a staff, but closed in 2008.
"We're taking it one step at a time. We're not out to conquer the world necessarily," Sands said. "We've learned some from the first time around, patience for starters. We want to take our time and see what happens."
He plans to unveil some new flavors this spring and summer and strengthen partnerships with local and regional farmers to provide local ingredients in his offerings. If the line proves successful, he plans to expand with glazes, sauces and more.
"We're looking forward to working with some new farmers this year. We try to work with local and regional farmers as much as possible," he said.
Sands, originally from New York, has long loved cooking and entertaining. His professional background is varied. He has a music degree and worked as an IT consultant and in sales. He was a bit hesitant to get back into the challenging world of food entrepreneurism after closing in O'Bryonville, but has hopped back in.
"I couldn't stay away from food. I love the business. I like the food community in Cincinnati, and I wanted to do it in a way that was profitable and can make the best use of my time," he said.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Bill Sands, founder Marble Hill Provisions
You can follow Feoshia on Twitter
@feoshiawrites
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.