Fleming is exact about what Bond eats, and one of the things he names is a marmalade. In From Russia, with Love it is Cooper’s Vintage Oxford, a dark and bitter Seville orange preserve. Frank Cooper’s Vintage Oxford Marmalade is still made, and it suits a proper breakfast.
In the books
Chapter 11 puts the jar on Bond’s tray in London, alongside Norwegian heather honey from Fortnum’s and a jar of strawberry jam. It is mentioned in the paragraph after the Chemex coffeemaker. Wikipedia records that Frank Cooper’s marmalade is among the brands Bond consumes in the novel. See the wider world of the Bond films for how breakfast fares on screen.
Owning it now
The Vintage is the darkest of the Oxford range: a coarse-cut marmalade, made with Seville oranges and inspired by Sarah Jane Cooper’s 1874 recipe. Retailers describe it as intensely flavoured and aimed at the mature palate, and we agree that a marmalade is better bitter than sweet. Production moved away from Oxford in 1967, though the Oxford name stayed on the label.
We would spread it thickly on dark toast with salted butter. The Fine Cut is smoother and a little sweeter; choose Vintage if you want the one in the book. More in Food & Drink.
Specifications
| Brand | Frank Cooper’s Oxford Marmalade |
|---|---|
| Variety | Vintage Oxford, dark coarse-cut Seville orange |
| Recipe | Inspired by Sarah Jane Cooper’s 1874 recipe |
| Jar | About 454g (1 lb) at specialist retailers |
| Storage | Refrigerate once opened and use within six weeks |
