Bentwood Barn first began producing handmade food products in the early 1990s when original owner Les Stephens became involved in organising an arts and crafts market in Queenstown.

Bentwood Barn was a name first given to Les’ late 1980s Queenstown home, but has since grown into a Nelson-based food business with gourmet attitude. Bentwood Barn now has new owners and a new lease of life, now based at the popular Grape Escape complex outside of Richmond, Jon and Angela Tilyard of Escape Gallery and Gifts have joined forces with Allan Addison-Saipe and Lara Topping of the Grape Escape Café & Winebar to continue the tradition of fine jam's, pickles and preserves.

Jon and Angela have created a tradition of running quality Gallery and gift shops, first with the Golden Bay Gallery and latterly with Escape Gallery and gifts. Self confessed food lovers unable to find quality food products for their stores, they decided the best plan was to control their supply through purchasing the best jam, pickle and preserve supplier in the market - Bentwood Barn.

Allan and Lara set up and own the Grape Escape Café and have tasted success since 1996. Having created a fine tradition for quality food they see moving in to the preserve business as a natural extension of their existing business. Allan a chef for over twenty years sees his cooking career turning full circle as he returns to where it all began, standing on a stool in the kitchen helping his mother prepare jams and preserves.

The packaging with geometric jars and bottles with black and red labels featuring a scarlet rooster evocative of the countryside as most of the raw ingredients are harvested from the natural food bowl that is the Tasman region. The tradition continues with fine quality products hand made in small batches to ensure quality and flavour.

Bentwood Barn has also become a popular choice for city jams eaters with products now available in good food outlets like Moore Wilson's in Wellington as well as a number of carefully selected outlets throughout New Zealand.

Bentwood Barn products are available at the Escape Gallery and Gifts. Customers can come in to taste and buy the products, visit the café for a fine luncheon, or enjoy a glass of fine Nelson wine.

We will continue our quest to excite the taste buds. The recipe book collection continues to grow, new smells emanate from the kitchen at the Grape Escape and every once in a while a new and wondrous concoction is born.