Are you jammy enough to win world contest?
Search is on for the best preserves and pickles for new Yorkshire festival
The quest to find the world’s best jam has begun as entries are open for the World Jam Awards, with the awards ceremony taking place in Helmsley this September. Already the organisers have received entries from overseas including Canada, and they are now inviting jam makers across Britain to get involved by entering a jar of their preserve into the awards.
Contestants have until Friday August 12 to enter one of eight categories which include tipsy for entries which include alcohol; 20 years and under for the next generation of preservers; exotic for jams which test the judge’s palate; and Anything but Jam, a category reserved for those entering pickles, relish, curd or jelly.
The World Jam Awards will be judged by Michelin star chef Andrew Pern and his team from The Star at Harome on Sunday September 25 at Helmsley Walled Garden in the North York Moors National Park.
Visitors are welcome to visit the garden to see the finalists and winning entries after judging has been completed.
The awards were originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but the competition and event were cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
Entry details including dropoff points for competitors’ jam entries can be found on the World Jam Festival & Awards website.
Organiser of the awards, Anna Lupton, of Carr House Farm Bed and Breakfast at Ampleforth, said: “It is great to finally see the awards taking place, particularly after lockdown when more people discovered the delights of making their own jam.
“With an increasing focus on cutting food waste by preserving fruit and vegetables, we’re hoping to engage with a raft of new preservers.
“The categories are designed to reflect the wide range of jammaking enthusiasts, from businesses, professional chefs and people growing their own fruit and vegetables to make homemade preserves right through to those who simply enjoy making jam as a hobby.”
Enter at: https://worldjamfestival.com/