There are many different opinions on this question, and many kinds of reasons for the different opinions. We have read everything we can on the subject and decided for ourselves that our relish is a savoury, mostly, but not always, vegetable based preserve that does not have dominant sweetness, but rather more complex sweet/sour combined with other flavour profiles. Its texture is chunky with produce although smooth enough to spread. Chutney, for us, always contains fruit, even if it is not fruit based. Therefore, chutney has a predominantly sweet flavour profile. It usually has a ‘heavier’ texture than relish. Pickles, according to us, are mostly vegetable (lime pickles being an obvious and delicious exception) and are usually highly acid with a dominant sour flavour profile. Pickles can be spreadable having a light ‘sauce’, but are often bottled in clear, spiced vinegar which can be tipped off and used in cooking and salad dressings.