Cordials, chutneys, jams and juices!

Rigsby’s Seasonal Foods is an innovative food and drink company on a mission to rescue surplus food and turn it into handcrafted, mouth-watering delights.

Founded in 2023 by James Marsh (with his loyal dog, Rigsby!), Rigsby’s Seasonal Foods combines the art of foraging, growing, and upcycling surplus produce into unique and exciting flavoured creations. From vibrant foraged finds, to homegrown harvests and surplus goods, every product is a testament to sustainability, creativity and quality craftsmanship.

"Our products are carefully handcrafted using traditional techniques to ensure the highest quality and taste." – James Marsh

From Surplus to Sensation

In mid-2024, Rigsby’s Seasonal Foods partnered with FareShare Midlands. The collaboration began when fruits and vegetables from FareShare’s Nottingham site faced the risk of going to waste as "surplus surplus" - produce that other Food Members couldn’t use. Recognising the opportunity to prevent waste, James Marsh stepped in to collect the produce, transforming it into long lasting cupboard staples bursting with flavour.

Some of Rigsby’s most exciting recent creations, made using foods from FareShare Midlands include:

Pineapple, Cardamom and Ginger Cordial
Tomato and Tamarind Ketchup
Lime, Elderflower and Juniper Cordial

By giving new life to food nearing the end of its shelf life, Rigsby’s proves that sustainable eating can also be delicious and creative.

Spreading the Word About Food Sustainability

Rigsby’s Seasonal Foods actively promotes the benefits of reducing food waste and our intake of ultra processed foods. At markets, fairs and events, James and his team engage with customers, sharing tips on how to maximise food available to us, and the joy of experimenting with new flavours and combinations. For those who can’t make it to an event, their online shop offers a range of their latest handcrafted creations for customers to purchase.

What’s Next?

Starting 2025 with a bang, James has set his sights on an exciting new surplus food challenge: transforming leftover bread into pasta! Working with the Food Innovation Team at The University of Nottingham, students are developing a new type of pasta, made using bread that would otherwise go to waste. Members of the FareShare Midlands team were invited to the University in March this year to see the processes behind this exciting new project, and sample some of the pasta alongside Rigsby Seasonal Foods’ homemade sauces!

Anthony, FareShare Midlands Senior Community Development Coordinator, said: "It was impressive, like something from an artisan market! Very good to see what can be created with surplus food, and is hopefully something that becomes more widespread in the coming years."

At FareShare Midlands we’re delighted to see our food be given a new and exciting life and are looking forward to see what James and the team come up with next!