Sales preparation and research meets breakfast opportunity

Quite what founder of Duerr's, the preserve maker, one Fred Duerr, would make of their current PR story "the perfect way to eat toast and marmalade" from the company he founded in 1891 one cannot know.

From the Duerr website Fred's story is told. He had just started to work as a grocery commission agent .

Fred was amongst other things a salesman.

In 1881, Fred met 'honest’ John Butterworth, the buyer from the Heywood Co-operative Society, who was experiencing difficulty obtaining jams of high quality.

The buyer had heard of the jams Fred's wife Mary made, and asked if Fred would consider supplying his society. From that chance meeting the family business was born of this family business is told.

Initially the jams were made by his wife Mary. The website has her signature at the foot of each page.




The company also packs and markets Ocean Spray cranberry sauce and jelly products in the UK and also packs own-label products for UK retailers


In a research study by the University of Chester ( England) the vexed problem of the perfect toast and marmalade has been studied.

Commissioned by Duerr http://www.duerrs.co.uk/ the research team have produced a formula to produce perfect toast and marmalade .


It turns out that not only 'vengeance' but 'toast and marmalade' "is a dish best served cold.

Prof. Christopher Smith of the Manchester Food research centre discovered that endorphins are released in the brain when marmalade is eaten on cold toast.

Perfection in toast and marmalade has a formula;-


B Temp.... x .... Td .... x .... WD .... x ..... WM....
..........______________________________
........... T m .... x.... Md .... x... BT

BTemp = 130C
Td = 10 minutes after toasting at a temperature of 220C for 1min
WD ( butter weight) = 7.1g
WM (marmalade weight) = 11.2g
Tm (butter thickness) = 1mm
Md ( marmalade thickness) = 2mm
BT (bread thickness) = 9mm
People who prefer thicker or thinner bread should take heed of the golden ratio established by the study, where the thickness of the bread, spread and` marmalade is determined by the ratio
9:1:2 (BT:Tm:Md)

Brief history of marmalade



According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "marmalade" appeared in English language in 1480, borrowed from French marmelade which, in turn, came from the Portuguese marmelada.
In 1524, Henry VIII received a "box of marmalade" from Mr. Hull of Exeter.

As it was in a box, this was likely to have been marmelada, a quince paste from Portugal , still made and sold in southern Europe.

Its Portuguese origins from marmalado can be detected in the remarks in letters to Lord Lisle, from William Grett, 12 May 1534,

"I have sent to your lordship a box of marmalado, and
another unto my good lady your wife"

and from Richard Lee, 14 December 1536,

"He most heartily thanketh her Ladyship for her marmalado".

The current use of "marmalade" in the English language to refer to citrus fruits was made in the 17th century, when citrus first began to be plentiful enough in England for the usage to become common .

To get you pepped up Today's selling why not be inspired by Fred Duerr's story as you enjoy your morning toast and marmalade whether on hot or cold toast.