Three centuries after a French travel writer declared 'what an excellent thing is an English pudding', English Heritage has warned that the traditional dessert is facing extinction. Research by the charity suggests that two-thirds of households in England, Wales and Scotland now make puddings only once a month or less, while a third never bake, boil or steam them at all.
If this trend continues, the great British pudding could vanish within 50 years, English Heritage said. Dr Andrew Hann, a senior curator of history at the charity, commented: 'Sweet puddings are closely intertwined with British history and it would be a huge shame for them to die out.' The charity defines puddings as any cooked sweet course following a main meal, including not only steamed sponge but also apple pies and crumbles.
The survey, carried out by YouGov, found that only 2% of British households eat a homemade pudding daily. While half of people born before 1970 recalled their parents making puddings several times a week, this dropped to 26% for those born in the 1970s, with the decline continuing ever since. Dr Hann attributed the shift to more women entering the workforce from the 1970s, leaving less time for cooking and a growing preference for convenience.
English Heritage has introduced two new pudding-inspired ice cream flavours at its sites—sticky toffee and apple crumble and custard—in an attempt to reignite interest. The charity is also publishing The English Heritage Baking Book in September, featuring recipes for both classic and forgotten puddings, such as Twelfth Night cake, soul cake, cabinet pudding, and Anglo-Saxon cake.
