Wilkin & Sons Limited was established in Tiptree, Essex, England in 1885 and makes preserves, marmalades and associated products.
The present chairman of the business, Peter Wilkin, is the great-grandson of the founder. Through a Trust, employees own a significant proportion of the business. The company has continuously held a Royal Warrant for preserves and marmalades since 1911.
The company farms 1,000 acres (400 ha) in and around Tiptree and grows much of its own fruit, including strawberries, plums, cherries, raspberries, mulberries, quinces, medlars and the unique Little Scarlet, a small fruiting variety of strawberry with a unique and intense flavour. The latter is notoriously difficult to cultivate and is grown only by Wilkin. Turnover exceeded £24 million in 2008, and the business employs over 220 full-time staff with many more during the fruitpicking season.
Wilkin & Sons Limited also operates three tea rooms in Essex, a specialist bakery and patisserie producer (Tiptree Patisserie) and sells fresh fruit grown on the Tiptree estate. The Tiptree Visitor Centre features a tearoom, shop, and museum about the company's history, jam-making, and village life. The visitor centre and museum are located in the grounds of the jam factory.
From 1904 to 1951 the company was served by the Kelvedon and Tollesbury Light Railway, providing most of the goods traffic of the railway.
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