Winning a silver medal at this year's 2019 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show for their home-made beetroot relish was a pleasant surprise for James and Rose Reid. James is a firefighter and Rose a school teacher, and they have three sons: Frankie, 3, Billy, 7, and Percy, 8. They started making JAMESANDROSE sauces and condiments in their Charlestown kitchen 13 years ago and now supply 40 stockists with their Beetroot Relish, Brinjal Pickle, Indian Curry Paste or Tomato Kussoundi. "Most of our products are Indian in flavour, using Rose's family recipes dating back to the 1930s," James told Food & Wine. Rose's great grandparents, Elliot and Esther Bolst, built up a condiments business during the Depression which swept through India in the 1930s, a feat James described as "pretty remarkable". Entering the Fine Food awards for the first time was "a bit of fun". Bringing home a medal was a bonus. "Awards are great but the real test of a product is if people start to become 'fans' and you build a community around that. One long-term customer in Sydney regularly buys about 30 jars of Brinjal Pickle and has done for about 10 years," James explained. "We have been supplying our range regularly to cafes and businesses for a number of years and have had great support from locals and also holiday visitors. Although we still have our full-time jobs there is potential for this business take off for us. Like any small business, juggling it with a family is hard - but rewarding. "We do have other products in the pipeline but we want our range to be small and to reflect recipes from both our families' histories. I developed a love of cooking from my Nan growing up in Dubbo. One of our main goals is helping people to create meals that they can enjoy as a family or with friends. That's how we like to use our products and if we can pass that on and encourage people to cook and share a meal together, that's great." The Reids were in good company at this year's Fine Food awards. Anna Bay's Pasta Di Porto claimed the Champion Filled Pasta crown for its Prosciutto, Provolone Piccante and Marinated Baby Fig Ravioli. Lorne's Myrtle & Pepper Fine Chocolates also claimed a champion's crown for its Six Handmade Bonbons. Read more: Southern Italian traditions live on at Pasta Di Porto Pasta Di Porto pocketed three gold medals, nine silver medals and two bronze medals; Branxton's Hungerford Meat Co won gold for its Mr Charcuterie Free Range Capocollo; Mayfield's Hallstrom Co received a silver for its Black Garlic Paste and bronze for its Black Garlic Bulb; and Cardiff's Hunter Heritage Gourmet Foods claimed a bronze for its Newcastle Pudding Lady Traditional Vegan Christmas Pudding Fat Wren Farm, of Fullerton Cove, won gold for its Blood Orange and Ginger Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar, silver for its Peach, Fig and Earl Grey Jam and bronze for its Plum & Cinnamon Jam and Cumin Spiced Caramelised Botanic Vinegar. And a little further afield, Rosto Grove at Merriwa won gold for both its Mellow Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Varietal or Blend) and its Extra Oomph, which also received a championship medal. While you're with us, did you know the Newcastle Herald offers breaking news alerts, daily email newsletters and more? Keep up to date with all the local news - sign up here.