With a passion for preserves, Vancouver’s Genevieve Blanchet launched a small-batch company called Le Meadow’s Pantry in 2013. She started with a classic orange marmalade—and with it, has gone on to win one of several silver awards that were given out at the recent World’s Original Marmalade Awards in the UK.

The marmalade was up against 3,000 entries from more than 40 countries and was part of a group of about 200 silver winners in the artisan and small producer category.

Blanchet’s Grapefruit Smoked Sea Salt Marmalade, made with smoked sea salt from the Vancouver Island Salt Co., earned a certificate of merit in the preserving competition.

For the purposes of the 14^th annual event, marmalade was strictly defined as a citrus preserve, consisting predominantly of fruits like lemon, lime, orange, and yuzu. Judges considered the products’ appearance, colour, consistency, aroma, and flavour.

The awards took place at the historic Dalemain House in the Lake District of Cumbria. Entrants also came from Kenya, Ecuador, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Colombia, among other places.

Proceeds from the annual event go to Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland, a nursing service for people with a terminal illness who wish to die in the familiar surroundings of their own home.

Blanchet, who moved to the West Coast from Quebec in 1997, is an herbalist and holistic nutritionist. She uses French copper pans to make preserves by hand 12 jars at a time.

Le Meadow Pantry’s other marmalade flavours include lemon-lavender-cardamom and pear-citron; there are jams, chutneys, and citrus candies, too.

The preserves can be found at various Vancouver farmers markets and retailers throughout B.C.