The Marmalade Festival ...

DALSTON DAVE’S BESTSELLING MARMALADE BREAD

CUMBRIA’S independent bakers showed off their creative genius in our Best Marmalade Bread competition during the World Marmalade Festival.

Our challenge - to come up with a loaf made with Carr's Flour and laden with citrus flavour – brought out the best in Cumbrian bread baking.

The judges were:

• Artisan baker and national food writer Dan Lepard
• Border TV chef Annette Gibbons
• Cumbria Life magazine editor Richard Eccles
• Carrs Breadmaker marketing manager Caroline Dale

The seven bakeries that took part were Gretna Bakery, Grange Bakery, Munx Lakeland, Staff of Life, Moore's Bakery, Bryson's Bakery and Broughton Village Bakery.

All seven recipes were praised for their originality and taste but the overall winner was Dave Moore's Marmalade & Cinnamon Tea Bread.

Dave, who runs a bakery in Dalston, near Carlisle, has been plagued by very customer-unfriendly roadworks outside his shop for several weeks.

"The publicity my winning loaf has received has been fantastic for the business, with people coming from far and wide to buy the bread," he said.

"I am now taking orders for it and it has become my best-seller, even outselling the treacle bread which is so popular."

Dave's winning loaf also includes raisins and citrus peel marinaded in brandy.

He recommends that people serve it buttered for afternoon tea.