Tiptree Jam Museum

The Tiptree Jam Museum sits at the heart of Wilkin & Sons' historic preserves factory in the Essex village of Tiptree, where conserves have been made on the same site since 1885. The museum tells the story of how a family of fruit growers turned a modest orchard business into one of Britain's most recognisable preserve makers, holder of a Royal Warrant and exporter to more than 60 countries.

Displays cover the cultivation of fruits such as Little Scarlet strawberries (a variety grown almost exclusively for Tiptree), the development of the brand, vintage labels and packaging, and the machinery used across more than a century of jam making. Personal stories of the Wilkin family and generations of local workers run through the exhibits, giving a strong sense of how the factory has shaped the village.

Adjoining the museum is the popular Tiptree Tea Room, where visitors can sample scones with the full range of conserves, and a shop stocking jams, marmalades, chutneys and gifts. The setting on Factory Hill, surrounded by the working farm and orchards, makes it an enjoyable rural stop in the Essex countryside.