2013 Results - Buninyong Marvellous Marmalade Fair

• Stop Press! The Australian XI wins the MarmalAshes again - three in a row - a hat trick! Beats the England XI at the International Marmalade Awards in Cumbria
• 130 entries from our Marmy Army of marmalade-makers across Australia were judged at the Buninyong Marvellous Marmalade Fair on 3rd February, 2013 in the Buninyong Town Hall

Marmalade entries came from every State - from Perth region, Bondi Beach, Georgetown on north Queensland's Savannah Way - and Relbia in Tasmania. There was a strong local contingent, plus Creswick, Melbourne, Mansfield as well as the enthusiastic Blayney mob in central NSW who promised to come down in support if they were selected in the Australian XI!

Entry fees were donated in full and a cheque for $1,024 was presented to Ballarat Home Hospice Care and $8 each went to two other palliative care Hospices that were nominated. This was a great result and the Hospice aged care organisation was extraordinarily grateful.

We were very fortunate in having three expert CWA judges Barbara Porter, Sue Gass and Janette O'Keefe to judge all entries and score these out of 20 points. Deputy Vice President of CWA Victoria, Dorothy Coombe, addressed the crowd on the day and spoke of the CWA's training and accreditation program for Judges as well as the benefits of this marmalade initiative to the community.

The Judges awarded points to each entry - for Presentation (max. 2); Colour (5); Consistency, texture, quality (6) and Flavour, Aroma (7) totalling 20. They also gave comments if they felt they could help the marmalade-maker to improve - perhaps we could all increase our scores by a mere 1 or 2 each year?

Selector of the XIs was Roland Rocchiccioli, thespian, raconteur, playwrite and interviewer, in conjunction with Barbara, Sue and Janette in what was a delightful example of camaraderie and unanimity! The XIs were two powerful teams - especially the Australian XI with two perfect scores!

Chief Selector, Roland Rocchiccioli combines with the expert CWA judges (l to r) Sue Gass, Janette O'Keefe and Barbara Porter to select the Australian XI.

The task for the Selectors is not necessarily to select the eleven highest scores but to select an all-round team, as Australia wouldn't send an Ashes Test team of all fast bowlers or spinners or batsmen. The aim being to slip in a googly or two, some spin, something fast and good with the gloves. The aim being to bamboozle the English! You can see that Buninyong has had a bit of fun over the past few years, when, after Australia lost the Ashes, we challenged our friendly adversaries the Poms to something else they claim to have invented! And the MarmalAshes, that tiny inconspicuous jar, is firmly empanelled in the old Buninyong Courthouse - exactly like the Ashes urn at Lord's!

It is a tremendous result to beat the Poms at the quintessential English tradition of marmalade-making - and for the third time. This year there are back-to-back Ashes Test series in England's summer and then ours. If we lose the Ashes again, Australia can boast that it holds the MarmalAshes.

2013 Buninyong Marvellous Marmalade Fair

Results by Class - Winners and Place-getters

Results - Teams: The two teams as selected

Australian XI - up against the England XI for the MarmalAshes

At the International Marmalade Awards at Dalemain Historic Mansion, Cumbria 2nd - 3rd March 2013

Buninyong Village XI

At the International Marmalade Awards at Dalemain Historic Mansion, Cumbria 2nd - rd March 2013

We are most grateful to Barbara, Sue, Janette and Roland for the professional job that they all did. Our thanks also go to our Marmy Army for entering and to our volunteer Committee who have done a tremendous amount of work to put on the Buninyong Marvellous Marmalade Fair for 2013.

We hope you will put aside your 2-jar entries from marmalade you make and send them to Buninyong by Australia Day 2014. Thank you for supporting the Fair and Hospice aged care.

A Call to our Marmy Army of marmalade-makers around Australia - get ready for the 2014 event!

Next year's Buninyong Marvellous Marmalade Fair will be held on Saturday 1st February 2014 so everyone is encouraged to make marmalade through the year and save their 2-Jar entries to send to Buninyong by 26th January. Entry details are at Rules & Entry Form

The Australian Eleven contained two perfect scores and was too good for the England XI - vanquishing our friendly-adversaries the Poms for the third year in a row - a hat trick - to retain the MarmalAshes!

The hard-fought battle between the Australian and England XIs took place at the International Marmalade Awards in Cumbria in early March.

Marmalade tasting is a serious business at Dalemain Historic House in Cumbria after the International Marmalade Awards in 2012 when Jane Hasell-McCosh, founder of the International Marmalade Awards, gave Prince Charles a taste. We maintain that it is a jar from the victorious Australian XI under Royal scrutiny - that's our story and we are sticking to it! (Photo Hermoine McCosh www.hermoinemccosh.com)