Preserves virtuoso Doug Ott revels in the fact that he has been banned from nine shows because he doesn’t give the locals a chance to win.
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Mr Otto, of Castlemaine, enters his preserves in about 40 shows a year across Victoria, southern NSW and Tasmania and has won 600 aggregate champion prizes over the past 12 years.
He added to his tally with the aggregate champion title at last year’s Warrnambool show and is hoping to do the same again this year.
His success spreads to jams, chutneys, jellies and cordials and is surprising because he’s a diabetic who doesn’t eat the fruit of his labours.
He donates much of his preserves to the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life and the Girl Guides and also gives some to family and friends. He doesn’t have fruit trees or a vegetable garden and travels for hours to buy fruit in peak condition.
Mr Ott said he did not enjoy good health and making preserves was his hobby. His wife Joy describes it as an obsession.
