Bhuira Jams – An Enterprise By Mountain Women Of Sirmaur

On the way to Chandigarh from Shimla with my family, my father decided to visit the Bhuira jams factory, located at Rajgarh in the district of Sirmour in Himachal Pradesh. Rajgarh is known as the peach bowl of Asia. About 6,000 metric tonnes of peach fruit are grown here spread over a 3026.29-hectare area. From Solan, we took a diversion to Rajgarh. It took about 2 hours to reach the destination. We had to take help from the locals as google maps were not helpful. Upon reaching we found a little cottage sort of factory,  an office cabin. The owner’s home is located amidst deodar trees.

When I say the word factory it sounds like something in an industrial area. But surprisingly this jams processing unit was in the middle of pine trees emitting the traditional mountain vibes. The factory does not look like an actual factory. But a green-colored old store. We were lucky enough to meet the founder Linnet Mushran, the face behind the Bhuira jams.

Woman Behind Bhuira Jams

Linnet Allfrey was born in New Zealand to a German mother and British father and was raised in the United Kingdom. Linnet met Kashmiri boy Vinay Mushran in Scotland during their college times. They fell in love with each other, decided to get married, and came to India. After their marriage, Linnet enjoyed settling down in Indian culture. She learned the Hindi language and became fluent in it. She started wearing Indian clothing like a saree.

Linnet tried every method to fit in between her in-laws, she would tan herself and learn to make Kashmiri food. She lived mainly on the outskirts of Mumbai, the jungle of Bihar where her husband Vinay was employed. Once they visited Himachal and fell in love with the cottage in Bhuira village where Vinay’s uncle lived. It was love at first sight for the village and she made it her second home.

Apple Orchards

The cottage was surrounded by apple orchards. Many apples fell naturally due to the strong wind. Which led to the wastage of apples. As they were slightly damaged and not suitable for the market. Linnet collected dropped apples and made jelly by using a traditional recipe that her grandmother and mother used. Everyone loved the idea of the preservation of fruits in the form of jelly and jams. Then, she asked for help from the local women in processing the jams in return for some money.

Linnet went to Kasauli to her…