Almond Pastry's Second Act: Making the Case for Marzipan in Nottingham

Marzipan has a PR problem. Say the word and most people picture a slab of Christmas cake, a fondant ghost from a tub of celebrations, or a Battenberg that has seen better days. That is unfair. Good marzipan is not cloying wallpaper for fruitcake. It is almond paste with a backbone, and it deserves better than being wheeled out once a year.

This is not a nostalgia piece. It is an argument. In 2026, Nottingham has enough independent bakeries, market stalls and chocolate counters to give marzipan a proper second act. We just need to stop treating it like a seasonal obligation.

How marzipan got sidelined

Marzipan has roots across the Middle East, Spain and Italy, and it settled into northern European baking through ports and trade routes. Lübeck in Germany became famous for it. In the UK, it found a home in simnel cake, Battenberg, stollen and the Christmas cake. That is a decent CV. The problem is that British baking often uses marzipan as a structural material rather than a flavour. It is rolled too thick, sweetened too hard and hidden under icing until its only job is to be vaguely almondy.

Meanwhile, frangipane has had a much easier ride. Bakewell tarts, almond croissants and pear frangipane tarts are everywhere. They are lovely, but they are not the same thing. Marzipan has a denser, chewier texture and a more concentrated almond hit. When it is made well, it can be extraordinary. When it is made badly, it tastes like sugar paste with an almond memory.

Nottingham's almond paste moment

Nottingham is well placed for a marzipan revival because it already has a strong independent baking scene and a market culture that rewards proper ingredients. Tough Mary's Bakehouse on Derby Road is the sort of place where almond paste can turn up in a weekend bake without anyone making a fuss. A marzipan and cherry twist, an almond croissant with a seam of paste, or a dense almond brownie all make sense here. The bakery's style suits marzipan because it does not shy away from richness.

Doughnotts in Hockley is another useful ally. The doughnut format is forgiving, and a limited-run marzipan and raspberry doughnut would be a natural fit: soft dough, sharp fruit, almond paste in the middle. It is the kind of thing that would sell out before lunch and get people talking. Birds Bakery may be more traditional, but its almond slices show there is a steady local appetite for almond flavours that do not apologise.

For chocolate, Chocolate Utopia in Nottingham is the sort of independent counter where marzipan chocolates make sense alongside truffles and caramels. Good marzipan dipped in dark chocolate is one of the great simple pleasures, and it deserves to be sold as a grown-up sweet rather than a retro novelty. At the Saturday farmers' market in Market Square, a stall selling marzipan brownies or almond paste flapjacks would also fit the mood: unfussy, generous and made to be eaten on the spot.

What good marzipan actually tastes like

Good marzipan should taste of almonds first and sugar second. It should be soft but not sticky, with a slight grain that tells you it has not been over-processed into paste. The colour should be creamy, not stark white. If the first ingredient is sugar or glucose syrup, expect a sweeter, flatter bite. Look for a high almond percentage, ideally 50 per cent or more, and avoid anything that smells of almond essence rather than real nuts.

In Nottingham, that means shopping with your nose and asking questions. A good deli or bakery should be able to tell you what is in the paste. At the market, ask whether the marzipan is made in-house. If it is bought in, that is not a crime, but it does tell you something about the ambition of the bake.

How to pair and enjoy it in 2026

Marzipan works with dark chocolate, raspberry, apricot, cherry, pistachio and coffee. It also works with salt, which is why a pinch of sea salt on a marzipan brownie is such a good idea. Try it grated over porridge, folded into a frangipane tart or sliced thin and eaten with a strong espresso. At room temperature, it is softer and more fragrant. Straight from the fridge, it is firmer and less giving.

The easiest Nottingham marzipan trail is not a grand tour. Start with a marzipan chocolate from an independent chocolate counter, pick up an almond pastry from a bakery, and finish with a marzipan brownie from a market stall if you find one. The point is not to eat marzipan in every form on one Saturday. The point is to stop treating it as a Christmas-only ingredient and start asking for it the rest of the year.

The verdict: give the paste a chance

Marzipan does not need a rebrand. It needs better treatment. Made with real almonds, used with a little restraint and paired with something sharp or bitter, it is one of the most satisfying sweet flavours in British baking. Nottingham has the bakeries, chocolatiers and market stalls to make that case. In 2026, the least we can do is stop saving marzipan for December and let it earn a place on the counter all year round.