Entries for The World’s Original Marmalade Awards 2023 have now closed as marmalade from around the world has made its way to the Lake District.

It has truly become a world award with entries from Inverness to Penzance to the Channel Islands, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Japan and Taiwan to name a few.

It’s clear the geography of marmalade enthusiasts continues to grow and the entries have arrived via the Marmalade Railway Express and Marmalade Exchanges from around the country.

As 2023 will be a year of celebration, most notably the King’s coronation, this has been paid tribute to with a new category ‘Marmalade for The King’ with some entries arriving crowned already in royal decorative regalia.

The Rathbones’ ‘Generations Together’ category has been particularly popular with many people adding their stories of the inventive recipes based on old family favourites.

Across all the categories, entrants are experimenting with many new ingredients one marmalade from Spain included squid ink as an addition.

We saw an uptick in unusual citrus being used and there have been many new peel shapes from bears to smiley faces.

Judged by an expert panel of marmalade makers and preserve lovers, the winner will be announced on the April 22.

Last year’s Best in Show, Mike Ranson’s Seville Orange and Cider Marmalade has sold well at Fortnum & Mason, the amount raised for charity from those sales will be announced at the festival.

Jane Hasell-McCosh, founder of the festival, has been delighted by the number of entries both internationally and domestically saying: “It’s been a delight to see how far the marmalade appreciation has spread around the world.

“So many entries internationally have been matched by the competitive marmalade makers from around the UK.

“We are grateful to our key sponsors Rathbones, Lycetts and Fortnum and Mason, to Paddington Bear who met the Marmalade Express delivery at Penrith Railway station to collect entries arriving by train and our local partners and volunteers who have been unpacking this orange treasure trove.

“With this support we have be able to raise almost quarter of a million over the last 18 years.”

The winners will be announced at the Marmalade Festival on Saturday April 22 at Dalemain Mansion, Penrith.

Marmalade entries will be available to view, lectures and Q&A’s connected to marmalade and marmalade Artisan winners available to taste and take home with you from our shop.

The Mansion and gardens are open to the public from April to October.

The Awards take place with support from our sponsors Rathbones, Fortnum & Mason and Lycetts.