Blake Hill Takes Home the Gold!
Windsor Vermont, June 20 2021 - Head Chef and Co-Owner of Blake Hill Preserves, Vicky Allard, excitedly announced the local English preserve maker has won two Gold Medals, two Silvers and a Bronze at 2021’s World Artisan Marmalade Awards. This is their most successful year yet, and follows five previous years’ of Gold Medal wins for Blake Hill - the US’ leading artisan maker at these prestigious international awards.
The Worldwide Marmalade Awards was founded in 2005 by Jane Hasell-McCosh to preserve, grow and widen one of the most British of customs – marmalade making. This year over 3,000 entries were received from more than 30 countries around the world including Japan, Kuwait, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. All entries were blind tasted tested by a panel of marmalade aficionados. Receiving this independent feedback on the quality of their marmalade really means a lot to the artisans at Blake Hill.
Blake Hill’s winning entries include two from their classic Fine Marmalade Collection: Seville Orange Marmalade (Gold) and Meyer Lemon Marmalade (Bronze); and two from their special Private Kitchen Batch Series: Seville with 10yr Single Malt Whisky (Gold & Silver), and Meyer Lemon with Jasmine & Honey (Silver).
Vicky says, “We are a little obsessive with how we approach marmalades, selecting the very finest fruits and then preparing them by hand to ensure we have the most beautifully sliced citrus rinds in every jar. We also cook the marmalade to perfection to both capture and concentrate the quintessential flavors of each special citrus variety, and create a lovely textured rind for our Seville Orange marmalade, or melt-in-the-mouth rinds for our Meyer Lemons". As an artisan maker of over 60 varieties of sweet, savory and spicy preserves and condiments, it's quite incredible to continue to be acclaimed for their craft over a decade into the business as they continue to produce the artisanal way at a notable scale.
“We are here working hard in our artisan kitchen tucked up in the Green Mountains of Vermont and to think we can ship our marmalades all the way across the Atlantic to go through blind tasting in England by a panel of some of the finest marmalade experts in the industry and be rated as one the world’s best is just really cool for us.”
WATCH VICKY'S AWARD WINNING ANNOUNCEMENT
The Blake Hill team is especially thrilled with their Seville Orange Marmalade’s Gold Medal Win as it is the most quintessential of all Marmalades, being the very first marmalade created in Scotland back in the 1600s. Vicky emphasised “For us, to take gold in probably the most prestigious category is just very rewarding.”
Blake Hill is also excited to continue to be recognized for their unique contemporary marmalades. Created under Blake Hill’s “Private Kitchen Batch” banner - a collection of unique, small batch ranges, their “Seville with 10yr Single Malt Whisky”, and “Meyer Lemon infused with Jasmine & Honey” won Gold and Silver respectively. While Seville oranges are only available February / March of every year, Blake Hill now has their special Jasmine-infused Meyer Lemon marmalade available year-round now - although it keeps selling out as fast as they can make it!
Marmalade holds a special memory for Vicky. The flavor profile takes her back to her childhood days in England where she grew up enjoying classic Seville Orange marmalade on toast for breakfast everyday, really everyday, and was the inspiration for launching Blake Hill Preserves with her husband Joe Hanglin.
As an artisan preserves maker, the process of creating these classic and contemporary marmalades is a rewarding experience. “From the aroma of the fresh citrus fruit while prepping, to the involved process we go through - which as an artisan marker we love anything that takes time, thought and attention, the art of marmalade making is at the heart of everything we create at Blake Hill”
MARMALADES HAVE BECOME A MODERN PANTRY STAPLE AND NOT JUST TO SPREAD ON TOAST.
They offer big bold flavors featuring beautiful fresh citrus that compliments fish, chicken, cocktails and of course, an array of baked goods. In Spring 2020, Blake Hill launched their “Cooking with Jam” series of over 100 recipes for cooking stunning sweet, savory and spicy dishes with the simplest of ingredients and a jar of jam. Meyer Lemon with Cardamom marmalade-glazed Salmon; Seville Orange French Clafoutis Tart; and zesty citrus-themed marmalade cocktails to top it all off are some of the most popular searched items in the Recipes section of Blake Hill’s website. Customers can even submit their own ideas for the chance to be featured!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BLAKE HILL PRESERVES,
shop their preserves and browse over 100 jam inspired recipes, visit blakehillpreserves.com
About Blake Hill Preserves: Blake Hill is an English fruit preservatory in Vermont creating innovative sweet, savory and spicy preserves for the modern pantry. We combine three generations of preserve-making skills with innovative yet super elegant flavors and the finest ingredients for health-conscious customers. Blake Hill has garnered multiple wins at the US Good Food Awards, the Specialty Food Association's international SOFIs, and The World Marmalade Awards, and they are available nationwide at specialty food stores, and served on the plate and cheese board at restaurants and other fine establishments.
