Is marmalade English or Scottish?

A bit of both, actually, though you may be forgiven for believing it's quintessentially English following the publicity surrounding the recent release of the new Paddington film, in which the little bear from darkest Peru is rarely seem without it as he travels on his adventures throughout his adopted country.

According to food historians marmelos, a solid, sugary paste of quinces imported from Portugal, appeared in Scots and English port record books at the end of 15th century, packed in wooden boxes. A recipe for pulped and sweetened orange paste first appears in a 17th century English recipe book as marmelade. No doubt this is why marmalade making is constantly referred to as an "English custom".

However marmalade is part of Scots' culinary DNA, too, and for good reason. I was virtually brought up on the aroma of Golden Shred as it simmered in pans behind the red brick walls of the mighty Robertson's factory in Paisley. Every afternoon, just after school, its tall chimneys released jets of steam imbued with the memorable smell of sugar and bitter oranges - so pervasive it defined the town for years.

The Robertson's factory, founded in 1864 by the Paisley grocer James Robertson and his wife Marion, is long gone, having been taken over by Premier Foods, which switched production to its factories in Manchester and Cambridgeshire. They still churn out Golden Shred under the Robertson's brand, and it enjoyed a 24 per cent uplift in sales in the week after Paddington's release in December last year.

Of course the Robertsons weren't the first Scots to popularise marmalade. The credit for that goes to Janet Keiller of Dundee who - according to food historian Catherine Brown - in the early 1700s came up with an original way of making a preserve from a bargain load of bitter Seville oranges from Spain, which her husband had bought from a ship in Dundee harbour. Instead of pulping the fruit with a pestle and mortar, as in the English recipe, she decided to use the French method of cutting the peel into shreds, and to make it looser than the thick concentrated paste that had preceded it. This made it easier to spread on toast. It became the first commercial brand of marmalade; it was such a global success that the family built a marmalade factory in Dundee in 1797. Dundee Marmalade is still made in the city by Mackays, the last remaining producers of the iconic brand. (Its presence in the recipe for Dundee Cake is the reason it gained PGI status last year.)

For a long time marmalade was so popular in Scotland that we made it ourselves at home. Shirley Spear, who founded the Three Chimneys restaurant on Skye 30 years ago, always made it, and her hot marmalade pudding has never been off the menu. This tradition is being continued under chef/director Michael Smith, who is currently making 700kg of marmalade in the Three Chimneys kitchen.

Recently, commercial marmalade has gone out of favour with younger consumers who prefer honey, chocolate spread and peanut butter: marmalade sales have declined by 7% since 2010, according to The Grocer magazine. Analysts say big-brand marmalade has an ageing fan base, and has failed to make sufficient effort to innovate and appeal to younger shoppers.

Home-made marmalade is surely ripe for a revival in the current age of the artisan and in the modern spirit of seasonal cooking: one of the attractions is that Seville oranges are only available in January and February. Given its Scots credentials, it doesn't matter that the key ingredients can hardly be called local.

To keep the Celtic flames fanned, the annual World's Original Marmalade Awards has this year introduced two new categories for Scottish home-made marmalade makers: The Stirring of the Clans, which challenges all Scots to pitch their marmalade against rival clans, and - my favourite - the Marmalade MacNab, which is for a marmalade designed to be eaten with fur, fish or fowl. Who's to say marmalade wouldn't go well with, say, venison or haggis? Or cheese, as a nod to its origins as membrillo? This is the challenge I could see young cooks rising to.

The Awards, now in their 10th year, take place over the weekend of February 28 at Dalemain House in Cumbria, where there's a rich archive of marmalade recipes. There are categories for artisan, B&B/hotel & restaurant owners as well as homemade marmalade makers to enter, and this year any amateur Scottish entrant can put their entry fee towards Marie Curie in Scotland.

Last year, 2000 jars of marmalade were entered from all over the world. Judging will be made on Appearance (colour, even distribution of peel, sufficient peel, and cut of peel); Aroma (fruitiness, distinguishable added ingredients); Texture (loose, medium loose, firm; separation); and Taste (distinguishable fruit, acidity, sweetness, brightness, tanginess, balance).

The closing date for entries is February 17, 2015. Collection points include Mackays Visitor Shop in Arbroath, Hopetoun Farm Shop, Herbie of Edinburgh; and various points in Aberdeenshire. For details, visit marmaladeawards.com