DAB hands in the kitchen, Herefordshire’s Three Fruity Ladies from Kingsland have been relishing the taste of success with their special runner bean chutney.

Pam Bufton and her two daughters’ winning recipe has spiced up competition in a new TV series entitled Top of the Shops which puts the spotlight on up and coming amateur food producers all across Britain.

The original communication from the BBC 2 programme’s research team was initially dismissed by the family as a “dodgy email”, but eventually Pam, Emily and Lesley realised that presenter Tom Kerridge meant business, and they were whisked away for filming at a shop in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

Viewers watching tomorrow night will discover the outcome of assessments by expert judges – food writer and restaurateur Nisha Katona and artisan expert Alison Swan Parente.

But crucially the producers will had to impress customers too with the appeal, and cost, of their kitchen table produce.

At the root of the Ledicot enterprise, Pam’s husband John was growing more fruit and veg in his two-acre garden than she could deal with.

So she began making her chutney and pickle, and two years ago with input from her daughters the family began trading their wares with the saucy label, Three Fruity Ladies.

Runner bean pickle has proved the most tantalising taste. Last year alone Pam and her daughters produced 2,000 jars. The condiment with its distinctive ‘fruity’ label is a shop favourite at farm and village shops all over the county.

“It’s streets ahead,” says Pam.

A retired florist, she praises the contribution from her husband. “You could say I married a vegetable,” she jokes.

“He is fanatical about his veg.”

Visitors to Kington Show’s horticultural tent will know all about John’s prize-winning produce and his extra long runner beans have been a sight to behold at Malvern’s autumn show as well.

“We didn’t expect this to happen,” says Pam. “We grew what we grew and that was that.”

“It started off as a tiny micro kitchen industry and then there were more enquiries, then we set up a website and it went mad!” says Pam.