Jars on display for the Marmalade Awards (Photo: Hermione Hasell-McCosh)
When: 1st & 2nd March 2014, 10am – 4pm
Where: Dalemain, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 OHB
£: Adults £4.50 and children go free. Early bird tickets available until 13th February for £4. Wellies or outdoor shoes are advisable when visiting the festival.
What is it?
On 1st and 2nd March, the 9th World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival will be held at Dalemain Mansion and Gardens in Cumbria, kicking off National Marmalade Week (1st – 8th March 2014).
Anyone who wishes to enter the Marmalade Awards should be quick as the closing date for entries is 13th February 2014. Everyone who enters a jar gets their preserve tasted and judged by experts, and then gets sent a personalised mark card with feedback on how the marmalade can be improved.
Marmalade Awards & Festival (Photo Hermione Hasell-McCosh)
If the entrants are lucky, then they will be given a gold, silver or bronze award. Last year over 1,900 jars were entered. The double gold star winner will get their marmalade made by a commercial kitchen. The marmalade will then be stocked at Fortnum & Mason with 50p from every jar sold going to charity.
Visitors to the Marmalade Festival will get the chance to view the competition entries as well as taste over 200 different marmalades. Over the two days of the festival visitors can attend workshops, see cookery demonstrations in the Private Kitchen at Dalemain and enjoy marmalade tasting from Mackays.
There will be a food fair, crafts, live music, a 1914 war exhibition and the opportunity to take a cruise with Ullswater Steamers on Lake Ullswater whilst enjoying Laithwaite’s wine tasting demonstrations. New for 2014 is the Marmalade Run on the Saturday morning. Refreshments will include hot food, home-made soup, cakes and of course marmalade.
Children’s entertainment and activities will include Paddington Bear and Paddington Bear book readings every half an hour, marmalade making, crafts in the Girl Guide tent, a treasure hunt in the gardens and llama treks.
More info: www.dalemainmarmaladeawards.co.uk