Tiptree: Taking Essex, England to the World

Being a quintessentially English family run company, Wilkin & Sons’ British heritage is key to their success and customer loyalty. The Wilkin family began farming at Tiptree in 1757, and has been making quality preserves since 1885. Their long history and ingenuity have allowed them to acquire the necessary tools to create high quality, tasty products. Fruit is inspected and prepared by hand and cooked in small batches using traditional, copper-bottomed pans. Amazingly, the original fruit sieving machine for jellies (clear jams) is still in use after more than 120 years. It is this kind of dedication that sets the company apart as specialists in their field and provides customers with a trusted and cherished product.

The company first received a Royal Warrant from King George V in 1911, and this prestigious honour has been retained with the company at present holding the Royal Warrant as purveyors of Tiptree products to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. They declare that they are proud to be fruit farmers based in Essex and that tradition is important to them. This prestige can also be seen in their beautifully created jars which include a distinctive packaging, perfect for a gift or a shared dining experience. Their specialist products include Wild Blueberry Conserve and Lemon Curd.

Not only for special occasions, the products also are offered in essential ranges which are useful for every day cooking: for example, Little Scarlet Strawberry Conserve, Blackcurrant Jam and Chocolate Spread. All these products maintain prestige and quality.

The KLBD certification demonstrates that Wilkin & Sons take food standards seriously. It gives customers the reassurance that their product has been thoroughly checked. The KLBD insists on the highest standards of kashrut in order to grant kosher certification. Each ingredient and processing aid is checked to ensure its suitability. Where necessary, the equipment is kosherised thoroughly to meet KLBD standards. For customers the company is all about quality ingredients with no artificial colourings or ingredients. This maxim of quality ingredients definitely resonates with KLBD’s practices and we value this.

The relationship between KLBD and Wilkin & Sons has developed over many years. Their interest in kosher certification was initially only for Passover jam. However, over the past couple of decades, the demand for kosher certified products has increased dramatically. Tiptree jams and marmalades are now kosher certified all year round. Tiptree is currently sold in over sixty countries. As well as the demand for kosher Tiptree in the UK, there is much interest from abroad, particularly America and Israel. This is extremely beneficial for the kosher traveller. No matter where the kosher traveller is, it is reassuring that they can find such a high quality and reputable product.

The farm at Wilkin & Sons is LEAF Marque (Linking Environment and Farming) accredited. This qualification recognises that the company’s sustainable farming practice. The fruit crops at Wilkin & Sons include strawberries, raspberries, mulberries, Morello cherries, rhubarb, damson, Victoria plum, greengage, quince and the curious medlar. Where items cannot be grown locally, quality fruit is purchased from trusted sources, such as from Seville for their marmalade oranges. As Walter Scott, Chairman of Wilkin & Sons once said “you need a quality fruit to make a quality jam” and this is something the company continue practice with their focus on high-quality fruit crops.

Wilkin & Sons have recently brought out their crisp range which are all KLBD certified. These consist of Apple Crisps, Pear Crisps, Pineapple Crisps, Tomato and Cucumber Crisps, Beetroot and Parsnip Crisps and Pepper & Courgette Crisps. KLBD are most excited to certify the new range. The health benefits of eating 100% natural fruit and quality ingredients make the product an interesting new addition for buyers.

There is a wide selection of honey, curd, sweet spreads and crisps that have been kosher certified in recent years, and the range keeps growing. Future developments also include certifying the company’s gins that have recently been launched. The current lineup includes Damson, Raspberry, Rhubarb and Strawberry flavours. Other products that we hope to certify are the Tiptree fruit juices.  These currently come in the English Apple, Apple and Rhubarb, Apple and Blackberry, Apple and Raspberry and Apple and Strawberry varieties. We look forward to KLBD’s continued and deepening partnership with the premier brand of Wilkin & Sons.

For a short video inside the Tiptree jam factory click here.

For a short video which shows a year at Tiptree click here.