HE created a national business on the back of an idea that was first cooked up in his grandmother's kitchen, and now he has set his sights on making his jam the toast of the Far East.

Young Edinburgh entrepreneur Fraser Doherty began his sugar-free jam-making business SuperJam when he was 14 and watched the company grow into a supermarket sensation in the UK.

Ten years on he is planning to bring his jams and a new range of spreadable sweet treats to Japan and China where consumers have developed a taste for British products.

And he is turning to the public to help back the venture by launching a crowdfunding scheme to find backers willing to invest a small amount in exchange for equity rather than take the traditional route of seeking a business loan.

Mr Doherty, dubbed 'jam boy' when he launched SuperJam while still a schoolboy, has raised more than £75,000 of investment in his 100 per cent fruit jam company, making his pitch already one of the most popular to be featured on successful crowdfunding platform Crowdcube.

He has set a target of £250,000 and hopes that around 300 backers can be found to join him on his "adventures in jam".

He said: "I'm very excited by what we can do with 300 excited shareholders getting behind our brand. I plan to get this crowd of people to vote on new products and packaging concepts. I think this type of model is the future of business. I never even considered borrowing money from a bank.

"To me crowdfunding is about something far more than just raising capital, it's also an opportunity to raise ideas, contacts and energy from people who love your brand."

The 24-year-old started making jam after learning his grandmother's recipes, and eventually perfecting a way to make it completely sugar and additive-free.

Upmarket chain Waitrose was the first supermarket to sell SuperJam in its stores, and since then the company has sold millions of jars, and been recognised by the business community with more than 20 awards.

SuperJam has also been entered into the National Museum of Scotland as an 'Iconic Scottish Brand', while Mr Doherty's success has been commended by Gordon Brown, Alex Salmond and Prince Charles. He was awarded an MBE in the last Birthday Honours List for services to business.

Aside from building a successful business, he has devoted a lot of his own time to helping his grandmother's generation and established a charity, The SuperJam Tea Parties, which has hosted hundreds of free get-togethers for elderly people who live alone or in care.

The new business plan will see SuperJam launch a range of honeys, marmalades and peanut butter and try to expand into other supermarkets in the UK.

It will also fund efforts to expand into growing markets in China and Japan, building on the success the company is currently enjoying in South Korea.