Taichung jam maker wins top accolade at annual U.K. marmalade event

London, April 26 (CNA) Taichung jam maker Kudamono Danshi on Friday took home one of the three Double Gold awards available at the latest edition of an annual United Kingdom marmalade award.

The Taichung brand's signature grapefruit marmalade with dried smoked longan gin was crowned the Double Gold Savoury Winner at the Artisan Competition of the 2025 Dalemain World Marmalade Awards, part of the World's Original Marmalade Awards & Festival.

Kudamono Danshi's accolade was one of three Double Golds awarded, the other two being the Double Gold Traditional Winner which went to the Single Variety Co. from the U.K. for its lemon marmalade and the Double Gold International Winner won by Gela 319 from Japan with its lemon marmalade.

The founders of the decade-old Taichung brand are Teng Sheng-chiang (鄧聖強) and Chung Wen-ping (鐘文平). While Teng had always worked in the food industry, Chung was in sales prior before moving into catering management.

On the Double Gold win, Chung said he was finally able to present Taiwan-flavored jams on the world stage.

Other than the Double Gold recognition, Kudamono Danshi's grapefruit marmalade with dried smoked longan gin also received two gold accolades.

The three recognitions were part of 14 wins by Kudamono Danshi at the competition, which also included three silver, six bronze and two "Highly Recommended" nods.

The 14 accolades were taken home by the jam maker for its grapefruit marmalade with dried smoked longan gin, grapefruit & orange marmalade, ginger kumquat marmalade, lightly tipsy tropical marmalade, fremont tangerine marmalade, tropical marmalade and navel orange marmalade with Taiwan makauy.

Taiwan recognized

With over 3,000 entries this year, Taiwan submitted up to 200 entries in the Artisan Competition, according to the awards' director Beatrice Hasell-McCosh.

Of those entries, a total of 69 accolades were received, including the 14 won by Kudamono Danshi.

Kaohsiung's Liu Yen-wen (劉彥雯) won one gold, three silver and eight bronze recognitions for her shop Honeybee Jam, with sweet orange and yuzu marmalade being the gold winner.

Having attended the annual competition since 2022, Liu started Honeybee Jam in 2016 after the non-additive jams she made for her daughter were well-received by friends and family.

Meanwhile, another gold winner from Taiwan was the roselle grapefruit citrus marmalade made by Magic Friends from Chiayi.

According to company founder Ko Po-jen (柯博仁), his award-winning jam took three years to perfect.

The main sponsor of the event is Fortnum & Mason, a department store founded in 1707, and brands that receive accolades at the awards also have their marmalade featured in the sponsor's stores.