Bermudian artist and chef Carole Holding yesterday started selling her own brand of jam and marmalade infused with Bacardi rums.

Speaking with The Royal Gazette yesterday, Ms Holding said of her inspiration for creating the jams: "Apart from being an artist I also have professional culinary skills which was my original training. I'm such a fan of Bacardi Rum - especially Bacardi Limon - and I knew it, along with Bacardi Gold, would be absolutely delicious used in jam and marmalade."

Ms Holding said she often makes jams and chutneys - and launched a line of jam, chutney and mustard in 1998 - and thought one day "no one has ever used Bacardi in Bermuda to promote something," and she thought it was a good idea.

She approached Bacardi before she started experimenting as she thought some of Bacardi's Rums would work with certain flavours of fruit. Although the launch of the products has taken nearly a year to come to fruition, Ms Holding said Bacardi were enthusiastic about her idea from very early on.

Encouragement was very forthcoming from Jens Maitland when he was Bacardi brand manager for Burrows Lightbourne.

A first for Bacardi in Bermuda, Mr. Maitland said yesterday: "I thought it was a brilliant idea because I was responsible for all the sales and marketing for Bacardi in Bermuda." He said it was a great way to promote the Bacardi brands in another format, namely foods.

He said the initiative was started by Carol, and he took on the responsibility of communicating with the legal department of Bacardi in the USA and Bacardi International to get sign off. He said it was a lengthy process but eventually they said "yes, lets go for it."

Although exclusive to Bermuda, the preserves are made in Dorset in the UK and the Bacardi is delivered through a UK distributor.

Two products have been launched, a blackcurrant jam which uses Bacardi Gold and a lemon lime marmalade which uses Bacardi Limon.

"Bacardi Limon, which is a favourite of mine anyway, I thought would work well with Lemon and Lime marmalade," said Ms Holding, describing Bacardi Limon as a perfect marriage between the two fruits.

The jams are already in Ms Holding's Front Street Store, as well as at her new store in the Fairmont Southampton Princess.

Ms Holding added: "I am excited about launching this and I know that we are going to have a great response from this."

Starting yesterday with the launch of the product, the public will also have the opportunity for a free taste test at the Front Street Store.

Although the jams are only being marketed in Bermuda currently, Ms Holdings said if all goes well, the rest of the world could soon be tasting the best of Bermuda.

Future products expected to be launched later in the year include a mustard with Dewar's White Label Scotch Whisky, orange marmalade with Dewars White Label Scotch Whisky and a vintage cut marmalade with Bacardi Gold Rum, brands all owned by Bacardi International Ltd.