A TOAST TO MARMALADE
Like it for breakfast? This gloriously eccentric festival is jam-packed with the tastiest of spreads
As every Peruvian bear knows, it’s wise to keep a marmalade sandwich under one’s hat in case of an emergency.
And Paddington couldn’t imagine a more convivial place than Dalemain House in Cumbria, just three miles off the M6 near Penrith. saturday, March 14 sees the 15th annual Marmalade Awards take place here.
It’s hosted by Jane HasellMcCosh, whose family has owned this delightful country estate for more than 300 years.
The awards ceremony was founded in the dark days of 2005, when the impact of foot and mouth disease created an urgent need for new sources of income.
Hasell-McCosh set out to raise spirits at a tough time. Paddington experienced some setbacks too, so he would be thrilled to know that today the competition receives more than 3,000 entries, with marmalade flowing in from all over the world. Indeed, so successful has the event become that it has grown into a weekend- long festival featuring presentations, focus sessions and activities (a turn on the juicing bicycle, anyone?). It has also seeded an entirely separate marmalade festival in yawatahama, Japan. That city happens to be home to Miyuki Kokubu, a former Marmalade Awards Gold star winner.
Miyuki began making preserves when she realised that she needed to do something with all the fruit she had left over from her citrus aromatherapy oil creations. she will be at Dalemain’s festival this month to tell the tale.
The marmalade entries are arranged in the state rooms, and, after the winners of categories including ‘ Dark and Chunky Marmalade’ and ‘Octogenarians and Upwards Marmalade’ are announced, the top-rated jars form a ‘Marmalade Altar’.
Previous winners have been emboldened to try unusual things. Blanka Milfait from the Czech republic, who won the coveted Double Gold in 2013, was inspired to go on a marmalade expedition in her campervan. she travelled more than 6,000 miles, visiting over 40 countries from Gibraltar to Iceland. she is also returning to Dalemain, to recount her journey.
Neat, on toast, in cakes, in ice cream, in gin, or even with pork and lamb meatballs as a lemon marmalade cream sauce — however you take it, Dalemain will have it covered.
And if, like a certain bear, you need to sleep it off, Jane HasellMcCosh recommends the Ullswater Association for bed and breakfast options in the area.
That way, you can return early on the sunday and bag the best seat for the live judging of the deadly serious MarmalAshes — the england versus Australia marmalade contest.
Just be sure to let Aunt Lucy know that one didn’t over-indulge and get indigestion. Of course, a wise bear would never let such a thing happen . . .