The 2024 Marmalade Awards are open for entry and ready for the worldwide entries to start landing.

Each year thousands of precious jars make their way by sea, land and air to Dalemain Mansion in Cumbria hoping to be dubbed the world’s best marmalade.

As people enter from nearly every county in the UK and from more than 40 countries around the world entering both the Homemade or the Artisan competitions.

If you don’t want to post your jar we have a number of Marmalade Collection Points around the UK and – for our American entries – one in New York.

At Rathbones and at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, people can deposit their entry and get a jar in return.

You can also deliver your jar to any station up the West Coast Mainline and it will get to
Dalemain in time via rail.

Beatrice Hasell-McCosh, Direct of The Dalemain World Awards & Festival has given producers of the spread some words of advice saying: “We are looking for creativity using ingredients that you think could be a winning combination.

“Perhaps you grow your own citrus, have your own honey cultivate herbs or tea that could make a good addition or maybe your marmalade is terrific with trout?

“Local ingredients and collaboration also usually means success for a recipe. If you win, your marmalade could adorn the shelves of Fortnum & Mason who will
produce and sell our Homemade winner of winners.

“We are incredibly grateful to Rathbones, Westmorland Family and Lycetts for their sponsorship support and without whom the Awards could not continue.”

There are four new categories for this year include Prisons Marmalade for anyone within the justice system to enter, after all Paddington who is a Patron of the Awards, famously brought his fellow inmates joy with his marmalade.

Westmorland Family Local Flavours Marmalade is designed to highlight something your area might be famous for.

Rathbones Generations Together Marmalade focuses on the joy of cooking
together and Lycetts Signature Savoury Marmalade shows that marmalade is not just a preserve designed for the breakfast table.

There is also a fundraising part to the awards with 100 percent of the Homemade Competition entry money being donated to Hospice charities with over a quarter of a million pounds raised since its inception.

The winner can also designate a charity for a portion of sales of their winning jar to be directed towards and our 2023 winner, Tim Nind, chose Hessilhead Wildlife Trust in Scotland.

Each entry receives feedback and a certificate.

All the Artisan entries that win Gold, Silver or Bronze receive roundels to display on their jars and the chance to be stocked in Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store.

The competition is now open and entry closes on Monday, February 5, with Marmalade collection points closing on January 26.

The winners are announced at the Dalemain Marmalade Awards and Festival on April 20, 2024.