All the events for the weekend, with details on classes, workshops and talks.
Marmalade lovers from across Scotland are being encouraged to enter their own marmalade in the prestigious, and quirky, culinary contest – The World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival.
For centuries Scotland has been the home of marmalade, with the preserve as we know it, first produced in Dundee, by the Keiller family in 1797. Now the nation’s 21st century cooks are being challenged to prove their own homemade preserves are as good as their ancestors.
The 2012 World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival, held at Dalemain Mansion near Penrith, is on February 25th and 26th 2012. Jars are
already arriving for the contest which, since it was launched six years ago, has become a firm favourite in the foodie calendar and organisers are urging anyone wishing to enter this February’s competition to get their jam pans on.
Mackays, one of the main sponsors of the Awards, is the last remaining producer of this iconic product, in the Dundee area. Martin Grant, Managing Director of Mackays said: “This contest attracts entries from all over the world but it would be great to see many more sent from Scotland. We should be proud of this traditional preserve – we export it all around the world to great success.”
Entries from every type of marmalade maker are welcomed with categories catering for families, serious artisan and commercial producers, B&B owners and new categories include a Novice category for first timers and a Heritage category for recipes passed down the generations. The Paddington Bear sponsored category ‘It’s a Family Affair’ promotes a great ‘indoor activity’ at a cold and wet time of year and encourages groups, especially with children, to enjoy making marmalade together. The event boasts the sponsorship backing of some of the most famous names in marmalade – Paddington, Jam Jar Shop, Mackays, Thursday Cottage and Fortnum & Mason.
The 2012 Artisan Competition will reward the Double Gold winner with the unique opportunity to have their marmalade sold at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, London. This category in the competition sets a standard that is internationally recognised and offers a significant business opportunity for winning entrants. Three classes are available to Artisan producers: Seville (thick, medium and fine cut), Any Citrus (lemon, lime, sweet orange, blood orange, pomelo, grapefruit, kumquat, wild orange, tangerine and Clementine) and Marmalade with Interesting Additions (could include alcohol, non-citrus fruits, ginger, bergamot, lavender and basil). Artisan and commercial entries will all be judged according to appearance (set), taste (flavour and finish), texture and aroma. All must have been produced by an open pan method.
The 2012 Bed & Breakfast and Hotel owners, and the newly added Cookery Schools Competition, supported by Alastair Sawday’s aims to find home-made marmalade either served to customers or produced by the cooks by future. The top scores will then be awarded with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and will feature on the marmalade website.
For Amateurs the categories for 2012 are: Seville Orange; Any Citrus; Dark & Chunky; Family Affair; Man-Made; Novice; Heritage; Merry Marmalade (with alcohol); Peers & Political; International and a Marmalade for a Monarch category.
Amateur entrants will each receive a scorecard showing marks for taste, colour and set and the top marks will be awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold certificate. Best in Show receives a silver gilt cup presented by the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers. Each category winner also gets a special prize.
This year the Best in Show will be commissioned and sold at Fortnum and Mason Piccadilly which this year raised a further £4000 for Hospice at Home
Entries for the Artisan, Bed & Breakfast/Hotel/Cookery Schools must be received by 12th February and Amateur competitions must be received by 19th February and can be accepted from NOW ON. Judging for the amateur categories at The World’s Original Marmalade Festival (February 25th and 26th, 2011) will be undertaken by a prestigious panel of judges including preserving expert and author Pam Corbin, Tiptree managing director Walter Scott and Dan Lepard, award-winning baker and Guardian food writer who will taste the hundreds of expected entries.
Further entry details including downloadable entry forms can be found by visiting: www.marmaladeawards.com. All amateur entry fees will be donated to charity. The 2012 beneficiaries are Hospice at Home and Action Medical Research; over £70,000 has already been raised over the past six years.
- Ends -
