This Doncaster gran is a worldwide expert - in the art of making marmalade

A Doncaster marmalade maker is celebrating after being named one of the world’s best after picking up honours at the Olympic games of marmalade making.
Eileen Harrington, from Scawthorpe, wins three silver certificates at the World’s Original Marmalade Awards festival in Cumbria for her tasty Seville specialityEileen Harrington, from Scawthorpe, wins three silver certificates at the World’s Original Marmalade Awards festival in Cumbria for her tasty Seville speciality
Eileen Harrington, from Scawthorpe, wins three silver certificates at the World’s Original Marmalade Awards festival in Cumbria for her tasty Seville speciality

Eileen Harrington, from Scawthorpe – who is the founder of charity DonMentia – returned triumphant from the World’s Original Marmalade Awards festival in Cumbria, where the talented preserve maker collected three silver certificates for her exceptionally tasty Seville speciality. It is the second time that Eileen has entered the annual Marmalade Awards festival competition, which brings together the planet’s best marmalade makers to tickle the tastebuds of judges who throughout the festival have to sample thousands of entries. Big hearted Eileen, who founded the DonMentia charity six years ago to help Doncaster people who have dementia and their carers, collected just a single bronze certificate last year, so she was more than delighted with this year’s triple haul. She said: “The competition is the Olympic Games of marmalade making. I am so thrilled that my recipe has gone down so well with the judges this year.” Eileen, pictured, has been making her delicious and tasty Seville marmalade preserve for the past six years from a secret recipe, which she sells for £2.80 a jar to raise funds for the DonMentia charity. This year she has produced more than 300lbs of the tasty treat this year, which are selling well at various shops and other outlets throughout Doncaster and it is hoped should raise around £1,000 for the charity. Eileen started making this year’s batch in January when Seville oranges first came out, after she bought four cases of oranges from fruiterer K Davies at Doncaster Market. Eileen said: “It took me the whole month to make more than 300 jars full, making them in batches of 12 at a time. They initially cook for hours overnight in a slow cooker.” You can still get hold of a jar of the tasty Seville marmalade at Dixie’s Cafe, Sprotbrough Road; Gravels Fruit and Veg, which is in Thorne; and the Victorian Tea Room at St Catherine’s House, Woodfield Park, Balby - but hurry, they’re selling out fast. Anyone who has any food and/or drink stories and would like to see them in print can send then to me with Jpeg pictures to [email protected] for future inclusion in the Free Press.