JAMS & SPREADS

See Also: FOOD; FOOD BRANDS; SAUCES, PICKLES & CONCENTRATES; MENU

Fortnum & Mason

The honey that Fortnum & Mason sells includes some that is harvested from a number of beehives that are maintained by its bee master in London. In 2018 the store advertised for an apprentice beekeeper.

Location: 181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER (orange, blue)

Website: www.fortnumandmason.com/food-hall/fortnum-s-classics/honeys

Gale's

In 1948 R.W. Gale & Company was acquired by Farrow & Company, a canned foods company that was a subsidiary of J. & J. Colman. The business's production was moved to Peterborough. Subsequently, the factory there was closed and production transferred to Norwich.

Hartley's

After the Second World War Hartley's Jam moved away from Rotherhithe.

Website: www.hartleysfruit.co.uk

The Hive Honey Shop

The Hive Honey Shop opened in Clapham in 1992. It has metamorphosed into an online business.

Website: www.thehivehoneyshop.co.uk

Honey Bees

Bermondsey Street Bees

Bermondsey Street Bees was founded in 2007 by Dale Gibson and Sarah Wyndham Lewis.

Location: 103 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB

Website: www.bermondseystreetbees.co.uk

The British Beekeepers Association

The British Beekeepers Association was founded in 1874.

Website: www.bbka.org.uk

James Keiller & Son

James Keiller manufactured marmalade and jams. The business was based in Dundee. Its produce was sold in white earthenware jars. The earthenware jars were still used for export.

In 1859 Alexander Keiller (1821-1877) invited Arthur Hassall, a food adulteration expert who was associated with The Lancet, to examine the company s output. The physician declared it to be pure and the finest he had ever tasted.

In 1871 the Sugar Tax was abolished. James Keiller & Son transferred some of its manufacturing from Guernsey to Silvertown eight years later. The quality of its marmalade declined. This was because while the tax was extant the firm had used sugar in a 50:50 proportion with just the juice and the peel. That sugar had become cheaper led to the whole fruit being used, which became would have made the conserve bitterer if the proportion of sugar had not been increased.

The firm became a limited liability company in 1893. In 1899 the Silvertown factory burned down. The following its sister in Dundee did the same. Alexander Keiller (1889-1955) sold the company in 1918. James Boyd, who had joined the company 1864, acquired a substantial holding. Crosse & Blackwell acquired James Keiller the following year.

Following the closure of Crosse & Blackwell's Branston factory in 1925, the manufacturing capacity was boosted in the Silvertown facility.

In 1928 James Keiller started sell in jams and marmalades in the U.K. in glass jars that had metal tops. The earthenware jars were still used for conserves that were being exported.

During the Blitz the Silvertown factory was destroyed. It was rebuilt. Preserves production was transferred to Dundee. The plant then just made Crosse & Blackwell-branded foods.

In the 1970s the Keiller conserves lost market share to their rivals.

Location: Tay Wharf, Silvertown, E16 2EZ. Keiller's factory.

Marmite

A Marmite factory was opened in Kennington in 1907.

In 2007 Paddington Bear started advertising Marmite.

Location: Kennington Lane, c.SE11 5JH. Disappeared.

See Also: THE REMAINS OF A VANISHED GIANT

Website: www.marmite.co.uk

Robertson

In 1864 James Robertson, a grocer in Paisley, bought a consignment of bitter oranges. His wife used it to make a batch of marmalade. It sold well and Robertson devoted himself to becoming a commercial jam maker.

In 1890 Robertson's opened a second factory in Manchester.

In 1910 James Robertson, the son of the founder of Robertson's, while travelling in America on a business trip noticed children playing with a rag doll that had been made from their mother's former black skirts and white blouses. This led to the creation of the Robertson s Golly.

In 1928 Robinson's launched The Golly Collectors' Scheme. This enabled shoppers to exchange coupons for Golly badges.

In August 2001 it was announced that the Robertson's Golly was going to be phased. It would be replaced by Quentin Blake-drawn illustrations of seven Roald Dahl characters.

Website: https://robertsons.co.uk

Sun-Pat

Sun-Pat is a peanut butter. It was created by H.S. Whiteside,

In 1958 H.S. Whiteside acquired Maconochie Brothers. Production of Sun-Pat was relocated to Lancashire. The Whitesides overextended themselves financially. As a result, Rowntrees was able to acquire H.S. Whiteside.

Website: www.sunpat.co.uk

David Backhouse 2024