Mark & Richard Duerr have been running the family business since dad handed over the reins some years ago. Mainly concentrating on marmalade, jam and peanut butter. The boys are a great double act and should be on stage let alone running a successful multi-million-pound business. Mark tells me what their dad said to them when he was handing over the reins ‘Here it is if you —- it up I will be back and sack the pair of you’ and he means it says, Mark.
The history of this great business makes typical reading form a small start-up just making batches of jam and marmalade, then progressing to a large volume packer that produces some great marmalade.
All the oranges are bought in Seville, processed, packed and delivered in Manchester in large blue drums.
From there they are mixed with sugar, pectin, and water and boiled until ready, sounds easy, doesn’t it? But it’s a very carefully worked out process. Originally at the Old Trafford site, all the jam and marmalade were made by hand boiled up in huge copper pans. Very dangerous and very hard work. The original factory, no fully automated is still working at full speed producing a wonderful list of great British favourites from redcurrant jelly to grapefruit and thick-cut marmalade. All this is overseen by the factory manager and friend of Stevens, Vivienne.
I stopped the whole line when filming, basically because of the noise, and they lost some 35 jars. Mark will never let me forget it, I’m just waiting for the bill.
F. Duerr’s & Sons Ltd. Floats Road, Roundthorn Ind. Est. Wythenshawe, Manchester, M23 9DR
t: +44 (0) 161 946 0535 w: www.duerrs.co.uk
