Arthur Charles Wilkin, the Company’s founder, is born. Today, his great grandson, Peter, is still the Company’s figurehead.

Arthur marries Mary Ann Swinbourne.

1st recorded strawberry jam is made. Arthur had started growing soft fruit twenty years earlier, exporting them to London. The lightbulb moment came when he saw his wife making jam from the fruit in their kitchen.

The Britannia Fruit Preserving Company is  launched by Arthur and Messrs Basden & Smith. The first year’s produce is snapped up by an Australian merchant, starting our worldwide export trade. Arthur networks with Mr Blackwell (of Crosse & Blackwell fame).  

Prices are issued for next seasons jams, including a commemorative ‘earthquake’ strawberry jam, following the major earthquake experienced at Colchester (centred on Peldon) on 22 April 1884. One dozen 1 lb jars sold for 5/6d.

Correspondence between Arthur with Prime Minister William Gladstone, following Gladstone’s speech encouraging farmers to grow soft fruit and make jam!

The first mention of our famous Little Scarlet strawberry ripening in quantities in the fields (Charles Wilkin’s diary).  The Little Scarlet berries may have been sold first in baskets, and later boiled in syrup.

The first mention of Little Scarlet jam being made is on 28 June 1890, and the following year Little Scarlet jam first appears on the Wilkin price list at 7 1/2d for a 1 lb jar.

The Britannia Fruit Preserving Company is  incorporated as a Limited Company.

Arthur’s son, Charles, visits Jamaica, America (West and East coasts) and Australia on a world trip and brings back improved factory methods, as well as Loganberry canes.

Opening of the Crab & Winkle Railway line from Kelvedon to Tollesbury via Tiptree. Arthur’s pet project, partly on land donated to the railway company, enabled a much more efficient way of transporting his jam.

The line enabled the public to visit the seaside at Tollesbury, and maritime visitors to join the main line into London at Kelvedon. 

The Company name changes to Wilkin & Sons. One of the problems with the name Britannia was the sheer number of other companies boasting the same name!

First appearance of Loganberry Conserve on the Wilkin price list. Price 1/3d for a 1 lb jar. Customers are warned that the crop will be limited. 

A celebration of the Coming of Age (21 years) of the factory is held for 200 guests. The celebration included a speech by H Rider Haggard, author of King Solomon’s Mines.

Employees become shareholders in the Company. Today, employees own over 52% of the Company. 

The First Royal Warrant for jam is issued by King George V. The Warrant is continued by George VI and Elizabeth II.

Death of Arthur Charles Wilkin, founder.

World War 1

The German Zeppelin L33 crashes at Great Wigborough, near Peldon in Essex, dropping a machine gun near Tiptree Hall en route to lighten the load. The machine gun is photographed by Mr Stanley Wilkin, but was subsequently removed by the army, and its present whereabouts is still a mystery.

Lieutenant Milburn from the aerodrome at Stow Maries near Maldon drops a message for the factory from his BE2E plane requesting jam. Milburn went on to drop further messages thanking Wilkin & Sons for the kind gift, before meeting his death in a crash close to the end of the war.

Queen Mary receives the gift of a 5ft high Dolls House (now in Windsor Castle) including twelve miniature jars of Wilkin & Sons jam at a scale of 1:12. On 8 February the Dolls House was unveiled to an eager press. In March, it was open to the public in the Palace of Arts at Wembley.

In April, Queen Mary wrote personally to contributing companies thanking them for ‘the most perfect present that anyone could receive’. Visits by over 1.6m people were made during 2024.  The Dolls House is still open to the public as part of a visit to Windsor Castle, where the Wilkin & Sons jars , 11mm high, are still on show in the Kitchen. Each jar contained the actual jam identified by its miniature label.   

World War 2

Peter Wilkin, Great Grandson of Arthur, is born. 

The Crab & Winkle Line closes to the public.

The Royal Warrant from the young Queen Elizabeth II is extended to jam and marmalade.

From Russia With Love is first published by Ian Fleming, confirming James Bond’s  favourite breakfast includes Little Scarlet jam.

The sale of miniature jam jars is started, initially in gift packs, and soon extended to supply the catering industry. In 1969, a golden gift pack of six 1 1/2 oz jars cost 40p.

An article in the  ‘Essex Countryside’ magazine mentions ‘to cater for increasing demand from the gift and luxury hotel trades, miniatures  are also filled by means of separate equipment’.

HRH Princess Alexandra visits to help celebrate the centenary of the Company.

The museum opens. Items were collected by John and Daphne Wilkin in recognition of the importance of saving historic papers and artefacts from the farm, factory and family. 

Purchase of the Essex Rose at Dedham, Wilkin’s first company-owned tea room.

Today the Company runs six more tea rooms throughout Essex.

Acquisition of Thursday Cottage, makers of handmade jams and marmalades. Thursday Cottage, originally from Lyme Regis in Dorset, shares the factory site at Tiptree. 

Opening of the new jam shop at Tiptree.

‘Sauce for the Goose’ , episode 7 of series 8 of Midsomer Murders airs with John Nettles starring.  Wilkin & Sons was renamed Plummer & Son for the filming of the programme, but staff were used as extras. 9.73m people watched the episode. 

Queen Elizabeth extends the Royal Warrant to all Tiptree products.

Tomato ketchup and brown sauce launched.

Acquisition of Tiptree Patisserie (then known as Passionately Cakes, and later Raven Patisserie) in Witham, Essex. 

Acquisition of Coles puddings, based at Great Chesterford in north west Essex.

An alcohol range launched with gin liqueurs on World Gin Day, with flavours created by adding fruit syrups from our fields at Tiptree to Haymans gin. The range is extended by vodka and rum based liqueurs, as well as cocktail preserves. 

The tearooms are closed during Lockdown. The factory continues to operate.

Death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The Company contributed to the late Queen’s ‘Green Canopy’ planting 3km of  mixed hedging, 70 young oak trees to mark the Jubilee, and an additional 96 oak trees to mark her remarkable life.

Coronation of King Charles III. The Company produced a limited edition Coronation Mayonnaise, and planted 800 native saplings in a Coronation Copse.

King Charles III issues Royal Warrant to Tiptree.

These sweet sticky rolls are bursting with so much strawberry juiciness, that each bite tastes like summer. Use our Strawberry Jam for maximum fruity flavour in every swirl.

An easy but showstopping dessert, showcasing our Rhubarb with Vanilla Conserve along with Strawberries grown on the Tiptree farm.

These strawberry trifles use Tiptree’s fruity English Strawberry Gin Liqueur and East Anglian Strawberry Conserve to create a pretty and show-stopping dessert for summer entertaining.