Croydon Guardian speaks to Marmaland Curator (and the dead).

Obviously picking up on his quote in the Mail on Sunday one of our local papers spoke with the 'human face' of Marmaland - Museum Curator Steve Jones.

Looking to support him in his war against 'Orange Jam' the Croydon Guardian rushed to his aid.

Sadly there was evidence of the rushing, as not only did they attribute one of his quotes to Frank Cooper (A Victorian Marmalade manufacturer of note who died in 1927) they also called Marmalade 'the Jam' twice.

I have asked Jones to deal with it immediately. Otherwise I, the Marmalord Ruler of Marmaland will be taking the matter in hand myself.

Back to Marmaland www.marmaland.com

Fanny's Famous Marmalade Festival 2008

Mr Jones's (Museum Curator) quote in last weeks Mail on Sunday has led to some 'interesting' correspondence finding its way to Marmaland HQ.

One of the more welcomed knocks on our inbox came from a gentleman in Reigate who kindly put Fanny Maiklem and her farm shop in Merstham back on our radar.

Well known in the area, Fanny who prides herself on making the best marmalade in Surrey has launched a 'Festival of Marmalade'. And this, its second year Fanny was delighted to received 69 entries for her marmalade making competition.

We went to visit Fanny and her daughter Nellie on the day that the results of her marmalade awards were announced, the shop was a hive of activity packed full of all sorts of fantastic looking foods.

We tasted some of Fanny's Pork & Marmalade sausages which were excellent.

Despite her 'interesting sausage angle' - Fanny is a woman who clearly appreciates a traditional marmalade, so we wait with baited breath for a suitable Sunday morning to sample our jar of Seville Marmalade made by her own fair hand.
(ingredients: 33% Seville Oranges, 33% Sugar, 33% Water & 1%............. 'Fanny Magic')

Fanny has run Fanny's Farm Foods in Merstham since 1979, and in more recent years with the help of her florist daughter Nellie she has diversified the business. A major development was the addition of the tree-top tea room which can be hired for private 'high tea experiences'.

For more info visit Fanny's Farm Shop

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Want to read some marmalade facts?
(this information is no way endorsed by either Jack Klugman or Quincy M. E.)

"This is not a solution. It is a perversion" Mail on Sunday 1st March 2009

In today's Mail on Sunday Jonathan Petre has opened the 'Orange Jam Gate' debate to a wider forum.


This will hopefully give us a measure of public opinion too - as his piece which quoted Marmaland Curator Steve Jones was also published on the Daily Mail web site (link below).

Will Mail on Sunday readers agree with our view that 'Orange Jam' is for perverts? or are they more likely to support the 'Hobbit Chef' and his force-feed the children approach?

Only time and moderated comment will tell...............
Have your say here!

Disclaimer: We have no proof that Antony Worrall Tompson is really a Hobbit, any likeness to characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's books or Peter Jackson's film adaptations is purely coincidental.

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Would it please you to know how to make Minneola and ugly fruit marmalade?

Premier Foods..... Moving forward, or killing marmalades history?

Last year word reached Marmaland that Mr David Atkinson, of Premier Foods was known to be jabbering on like a some sort of madman about renaming marmalade “orange jam”.

“We’re looking at ways of making marmalade more accessible,” said Atkinson last year.

In breaking news today, it appears that Premier Foods seem to be repositioning two of their brands -Robertson's and Hartley's.

We are trying to be open minded - who know's the repositioning may even prove to be a positive thing for Robertson's.

With the launch of a premium range produced in partnership with the Don Ramon Bordas Estate (spanish dudes growing oranges in Seville). The Robertson's line up will also be joined by a Honey marmalade. The jury is out on these moves (but watch this space).

However more alarmingly, we hear that the 'orange jam' talk was not the vile Internet rumour/joke that we hoped, and that Atkinson has only gone ahead and done it.

Hartley's which going forward will focus its attention on jam is launching, wait for it............
Best Sweet Orange Jam. ???????????????????????????????

Mr Atkinson is not happy to just patronise our children by suggesting that they are too stupid to realise that you can actually have different types of marmalade.

It seems he also wants to shag our Mums (so to speak) by going as far as to make his 'Jam' available in a contemporary Smooth Squeezy format.

It is simply, not on.

We wrote to Mr Atkinson when we first heard talk of this last year, and he failed to respond.

He can expect a fruity letter very soon.

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Come and sit on my lap, I will show you some of my marmalade pots.

Have I Got News For You - Christmas TV specials have final word on prankster lists Iceland on ebay episode.

Over the festive period our Iceland ebay listing made it way into two festive panel shows.

I witnessed it myself when I watched the Have I got News for You Christmas special (and watched it several times again on iPlayer).

And several people have emailed me to say they saw it on Big Fat Quiz of the Year over the festive period too.

That seems a good place to draw a line under the 'prank'.

After 'much demand' I have made a commitment to make more serious marmalade fact based entries to my blog this year, and to share more images of my marmalade related advertising items - yes indeed if I am good to my word, there will be two very pleased gentlemen in Japan and a happy lady in Canada (you know who you are).

Back to Marmaland www.marmaland.com