The Michigan Store Where Monks Offer Up A Bounty Of Tasty Treats

Unless you're going hiking along the Keweenaw Peninsula or have made friends with a local, there's a good chance you wouldn't know about the Jampot. That was until Gordon Ramsay featured this small yet mighty shop on his National Geographic series "Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted." Located in Eagle Harbor on Michigan's upper peninsula, the tiny store cranks out treats that can attract an eager line of customers forming around the outside of the building before opening hours.

Large muffins taken fresh out of the oven and delicious boozy fruitcakes can be purchased and carried away, but the monks have made a name for themselves with their Poorrock Abbey jams and preserves, first sold in 1986. Ingredients are sourced locally and regionally, including the berries used to make the spreads. In addition to jams and jellies flavored with wild thimbleberry, golden raspberry, and chokecherry, the monks also sell cookies, chocolates, candies, pancakes, fruit and nut mixes, and coffees. 

All Jampot sales support the Holy Protection Monastery, a part of the Byzantine Catholic Monastery, which was first built by the Society of St. John in 198. Poorrock Abbey is another name for the monastery, as "poor rock" is a reference to the leftover sediment after mining. Though picking berries and making jams was originally intended for the monks, the effort has since become a thriving business.

Due to the seasonal hours, there is a small window to visit the Jampot in person. According to the Jampot's website, the season typically runs from May through October, though it has also been known to extend from April to November in the past. During this time, the shop has set hours — unless it sells out first — and lines form early. The actual store itself is quite small, so even seven customers surveying the lineup of baked goods and jams can feel like a crowd.

Visitors have gushed about the deliciousness of the items and the friendliness of the attending monks. Limited supply items like peanut butter truffles, cream caramels, habanero caramels, and cashew brittle pop up in the display, while other items can be purchased online, including a one-and-a-half-pound fruitcake sampler for $75, a trio of different marmalades for $42, gingerbread pancake mix, gift boxes, and coffee subscriptions. If you don't see yourself traveling to Michigan, you can still taste the monks' creations in the comfort of your own home.