Richard’s bitter blow for the marmalade-making ladies (From Craven Herald)

Richard’s bitter blow for the marmalade-making ladies

10:40am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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North Craven farm accommodation provider Richard Lord has successfully taken on his female colleagues at their own game – and won an award for marmalade-making.

When Richard, who runs Little Bank Country House in Rathmell, attended a meeting of the Yorkshire region of Farm Stay UK, participation in the annual Marmalade Festival at Dalemain Mansion in Ullswater was on the agenda.

Richard said: “The ladies had been talking about the competition for about 20 minutes and I made the mistake of commenting that making marmalade couldn’t possibly be any more difficult than making jam. There was stunned silence, so I was left with little option but to have a go!”

Richard promptly walked away with a silver award for his Seville orange marmalade in the three-day competition, which attracted more than 800 entries.

And Richard’s 12-year-old son, Bretton, a pupil at Settle Middle School, decided to support his dad by entering his own Seville orange creation – and was rewarded with a bronze award in the “sticky paws” children’s category.

Yorkshire regional Farm Stay director Rosemary Hyslop, of Layhead Farm Cottages, Rathmell, gained a bronze award for her Seville orange marmalade and Christine Clarkson, of Bondcroft Farm B&B, Embsay, also clinched bronze with her dark chunky marmalade.

Another children’s award winner was William Preston, of Pickersgill Manor Farm B&B, Silsden.