Compagniesdrift has added two more national accolades to its growing list of achievements, with its Makataan Jam and Pickled Onions both named SA Champions at the 2026 South African Preserve Championships.
Presented by Agri-Expo, the second annual South African Preserve Championships attracted a record 700 entries from 85 producers, a significant increase from the 456 entries submitted by 66 producers in the inaugural competition in 2025. A panel of 61 judges assessed the products through a rigorous blind-tasting process, with 113 products from 43 producers ultimately earning SA Champion status in their respective classes.
Against this increasingly competitive field, Compagniesdrift Makataan Jam placed first in its class, while Compagniesdrift Pickled Onions also took first place in theirs, earning both products coveted SA Champion titles.
Building on last year’s success
The result builds on an exceptional showing at the inaugural championships in 2025, when Compagniesdrift Makataan Chunks was crowned the first-ever South African Preserve Product of the Year, as well as winning the Fruit in Syrup category. Compagniesdrift’s Pickled Onions were also among the products recognised as SA Champions that year.
For Compagniesdrift, the continued recognition is particularly meaningful because the preserve range grew from a desire to keep traditional bottling skills alive.
What started several years ago as a small preserve-making initiative has developed into a range that celebrates familiar South African flavours and recipes. Much of the work is still done by hand, with the same emphasis on patience, care and traditional methods that has characterised the range from the beginning.
The preserve kitchen is led by Lena Conradie, who previously tended the Compagniesdrift vegetable garden before taking responsibility for preserve production. Managing Director Ilse Ruthford has previously credited the quality of the preserves to the combination of a good recipe, skilled hands and the patience required to make them properly.
The Makataan Jam continues the farm’s special connection with this traditional ingredient. Makataan, or preserving watermelon, has long been part of South Africa’s preserving heritage, while the Pickled Onions offer another familiar favourite prepared in the Compagniesdrift style.
The 2026 results are also a reflection of how rapidly the South African Preserve Championships have grown. Entries increased by more than 50% in only the competition’s second year, with Agri-Expo noting that the growing participation demonstrates the need for a national platform recognising quality, craftsmanship and innovation in South Africa’s preserving sector.
For the Compagniesdrift team, however, the two awards are ultimately about something closer to home: seeing recipes made with care at Compagniesdrift stand alongside some of the country’s best.
Taste the award-winning preserves
Both of Compagniesdrift’s 2026 SA Champion products are available from the Compagniesdrift Wine and Farm Shop and can also be purchased through the Compagniesdrift online shop.
From the Makataan Chunks that claimed the country’s top preserve honour in 2025 to two more SA Champion titles in 2026, it is another proud chapter for the Compagniesdrift preserve kitchen and the people keeping these traditional flavours alive.
