Traditional and artisan marmalade, cut and cooked by hand
Marmalade is the preserve that divides breakfast tables, and we are firmly on the side of a proper set and a real bite of peel. Every batch of our handmade marmalade in the UK is cooked open-pan in small quantities at The Old Rectory, with the peel hand-cut so you get the texture a machine simply cannot give. If you grew up on a jar of traditional marmalade and have struggled to find one since, this is the shelf for you.
The collection runs from the classics to the more adventurous. There is a Seville orange marmalade made in the short winter window when bitter oranges are in season, a thick-cut orange marmalade for those who like plenty of peel, and a traditional orange marmalade for everyday toast. Alongside them sit a blood orange marmalade, a three fruit marmalade, a clementine marmalade and a ginger marmalade with real warmth. For grown-up tastes, we also make a whisky marmalade that is rather good stirred into a glaze.
We describe these as artisan marmalade and citrus fruit marmalade because that is genuinely how they are made, in batches small enough to watch over the pan. A jar of breakfast marmalade also makes an easy artisan marmalade gift, and the smaller 42g mini jars let someone try several before settling on a favourite.
How to use your marmalade beyond toast
Marmalade is far more versatile than its breakfast reputation suggests. A spoonful loosens into a glaze for ham or duck, lifts a steamed pudding, or sharpens a salad dressing. If you are cooking over Christmas, our festive range includes a Christmas marmalade worth keeping by the toaster, and our best-selling preserves will tell you which jars our regulars reorder most.
You can buy marmalade online from us all year, and several of our recipes are multiple award winners, which you can explore in the award-winning collection. If you prefer something sweeter for the morning, our jams, preserves and curds sit naturally alongside marmalade on the breakfast table, while our chutneys and pickles cover the savoury end of the larder.
We make our marmalade the slow way because there is no shortcut to a good set and a real depth of flavour. The fruit is prepared by hand, the peel cut to size, and each pan is watched until it reaches the setting point, which is why batches stay small and seasonal. We are the same kitchen that traded for years as Delicious Dauntsey, now simply Dauntsey, and the recipes have only improved with time. Our five-out-of-five food hygiene rating reflects the care that goes into long before a jar reaches your toast rack.
A quick word on keeping marmalade at its best: once opened, store it in the fridge and use a clean, dry spoon each time, and an unopened jar will happily sit in a cool cupboard until you are ready. If the set firms up in the cold, a few seconds at room temperature brings it back to a spreadable consistency.
Marmalade has a longer history than most preserves, and the styles have always varied: some prefer the dark, bittersweet depth of a long-cooked Seville, others the brighter character of a citrus blend.
Our range deliberately spans that spectrum, from the gentle sweetness of clementine to the assertive bite of thick-cut orange. The Seville season is the one to watch, as bitter oranges arrive for only a few short weeks each winter, and once that batch is cooked, it is gone until the following year.
Beyond toast, marmalade is a quietly brilliant cooking ingredient: loosened with a little water, it glazes roast duck or gammon, while a spoonful sharpens a steamed sponge or a bakewell. If you are new to proper marmalade after years of bland commercial jars, start with a traditional orange and work outwards towards the bolder flavours from there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between thick-cut and fine-cut marmalade?
Thick-cut marmalade has chunky pieces of peel for a robust bite, while fine-cut is shredded smaller for a smoother spread.
When is your Seville orange marmalade made?
We make Seville orange marmalade in the short winter season when bitter Seville oranges are available, so stock is limited.
Do you make marmalade without alcohol?
Yes, only the whisky marmalade contains spirits; our traditional orange, blood orange, clementine, ginger and three fruits marmalades do not.
Can I buy marmalade as a gift?
Yes, a jar makes a simple artisan marmalade gift, and our mini jars let someone sample several flavours.
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