Marmalade: Paddington’s favourite conserve makes a comeback

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/10/marmalade-paddington-sales-up-making-drinking

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There is a Paddington Bear movie out. But unless you’ve been in darkest Peru, you’ll know that already. The film has been in cinemas for a couple of weeks and is still top of the box office – toppling the almighty Hunger Games. Paddington is now the most hyped creature after the John Lewis penguin – there are Paddington statues all over London and Paddington-themed teas at posh hotels. Marmalade lovers are crossing their fingers that the current popularity of the Peruvian bear will spark some long overdue interest in his favourite spread. There are already positive signs – sales are up at one national supermarket, and Robertson’s has teamed up with PBear for a marketing blitz to meet the pester-power demand for marmalade sandwiches. Will it be enough to spark a marmalade revival?

Marmalade sales have been in slow decline for years. We bought 1.6% fewer jars of the stuff in 2013 than the year before, while at the same time honey and chocolate spread sales went through the roof. Commercial marmalade has suffered on two counts – it has an ageing fan base, and the big brands haven’t invested in exciting new products or packaging to entice younger shoppers. “It is a category that has seen no support for 20 years,” a spokesperson from Hain Daniels, which owns Robertson’s, told The Grocer earlier this year.

However, while jars have been gathering dust in the supermarket, marmalade-making has always had a loyal fan base – and when people love marmalade, they really love it. “From the cradle, I was brought up on very good homemade marmalade,” says Jane Hasell-McCosh, who launched The World’s Original Marmalade awards and festival in Cumbria because “the art of marmalade-making and using it in cooking was being lost”. Hasell-McCosh always travels with a jar of marmalade, just in case she is “faced with really horrid stuff”. She knows a fellow devotee who “chose the cooker in his house because of marmalade-making”, and one awards entrant who ensures his preserves have an escort on their train journey to Cumbria.

Part of the appeal of marmalade-making is its seasonality. “When I was growing up, the arrival of Seville oranges each January meant a trip to the greengrocer and the dusting down of the huge preserving pan,” says Randell. “There are few fruits that are really only available for such a short time, and that makes Seville oranges extra special.” Of course, you can also make marmalade at other times of the year with different citrus fruits, and practice definitely makes perfect. “It can be quite temperamental,” says Randell. “I had a few duff batches when I was experimenting with more unusual fruits.”

Fans point out that marmalade was once both fashionable and highly sought-after. William Chase of Chase Distillery, which makes a marmalade vodka, says: “In the Victorian era, marmalade was a way to signify wealth for the upper classes. Fresh Seville oranges were brought back from Spain and taken to dinner parties as a status symbol.”

Luckily, there’s good news for devotees – the first orange shreds of a marmalade recovery. Sales of fresh marmalade are up 88% at Waitrose, and the supermarket is also reporting big increases in page views for its marmalade recipes online. Meanwhile, Robertson’s has cannily teamed up with the Paddington movie to update its jars with the new-look bear.

Marmalade cocktails have also been growing in popularity. “One of my favourites is the Paddington’s Demise at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen,” says Sarah Randell, author of Marmalade: A Bittersweet Cookbook (£20, Saltyard Books), which was published in November. Oliver’s boozy recipe is in the book, and no, it’s definitely not suitable for a jetlagged young bear. Chase Distillery makes its marmalade vodka with its own homemade Seville marmalade. It is served in bars all over the country, and Chase recently launched a “cocktail in a can”, teaming the marmalade vodka with ginger beer for a take on the Moscow mule.

You can ease yourself into marmalade by experimenting with it as an ingredient. “Marmalade pairs well with salty foods,” says Randell. “Try glazing bacon for your bacon sarnie with marmalade, mid-grilling, or matching it with a Spanish cheese such as manchego. A lot of marmalades work well in slow-cooked dishes, too; the important thing is to keep the balance of sweetness, fruitiness and freshness.” Randell’s recipes include everything from Vietnamese pork with a marmalade, chilli, lime and rice vinegar sauce to a syllabub-topped rhubarb marmalade trifle. “Of course, marmalade is rooted in tradition, but I have really tried to give it a modern look,” she says.

One recipe in the book is especially exciting – because it comes from Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington. If you’ve ever wondered how Paddington likes his marmalade sandwiches, now you can find out. But for true marmalade sandwich perfection, don’t forget to keep it under your hat.