4 days ago
Why YOUR favourite pudding is on the 'verge of extinction': Traditional homemade British desserts face a sticky end, English Heritage warns
When was the last time you made a sticky toffee pudding from scratch? Or a treacle tart? According to a new survey by English Heritage, the answer for more than a third of Britons is never.
While the homemade pudding was once a must-have after dinner, only two per cent of British households now make one on a daily basis, the charity found.
Instead, 62 per cent of households make puddings once a month or less, with 35 per cent never making any at all.
English Heritage warns that the steady decline in pudding-making at home is putting British desserts in the crosshairs of extinction.
According to the charity, British puddings began to decline in the 1970s when more women started entering the workforce, a move that caused a significant shift in family dynamics.
Nearly half (49 per cent) of people born before 1970 say that their parents made puddings several times a week, even during the peak of hot summer days.
But this figure was halved, dropping to 25 per cent among those born in the 1970s, who are now aged between 45 and 54.
Since then, fewer and fewer Britons have continued the tradition. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 24 per cent say their parents never made homemade puddings, and only 14 per cent were lucky enough to have parents who made them several times a week.
Dr Andrew Hann, senior curator of history at English Heritage, said: 'Sweet puddings are closely intertwined with British history and although our waistlines might benefit, I think we'd all agree, it would be a huge shame for them to die out.
'Recipes for sweetened meat pies can be found as far back as medieval times and, by the Tudor and Stuart periods, sweetmeats and puddings sweetened with honey or fruit were common, although many would also have contained meat.
'Our love affair with puddings has continued ever since, peaking in the 1950s, with access to a wider and more affordable variety of ingredients than ever before.
'However, the research shows a clear shift away from the traditional dessert over the past 50 years.'
But despite the downward trajectory of the homemade pudding, Britain remains a nation obsessed with desserts.
Hot puddings like classic crumbles, pies and steamed puddings remain popular, with 36 per cent of people naming them as their favourite, followed by cake (18 per cent).
But baked treats are mostly seen as something to be eaten on occasion, while 'easy' and 'healthy' cold desserts are now much more common.
The majority of Britons (68 per cent) now opt for fresh fruit as a post-dinner sweet treat, closely followed by ice cream (66 per cent).
People are now 69 per cent more likely to eat frozen desserts than homemade traditional puddings - despite just nine per cent saying cold treats are their favourite.
Younger generations are also the least likely to say that they enjoy classic hot puddings, with just 17 per cent of under 25-year-olds agreeing with this compared to 45 per cent of over-55s.
Dr Hann warned: 'If this decline continues, we can expect the classic Great British pud to all but vanish within the next 50 years.
'I'm pretty sure I speak for most people when I say that is not something we want to happen! There truly is nothing better in life than syrup sponge smothered in custard.'
Commenting on the figures by English Heritage, Katie Cross, founder of bakery Cake or Death, told FEMAIL: 'I was born in the '80s and I remember my Dad making British puddings at least twice a week; typically sponge pudding, summer fruit pudding and fruit crumble.
'I enjoy making these types of puddings for my family, normally at the weekend after a roast dinner. Fruit crumble is incredibly quick to make.
'My favourite is rhubarb and strawberry (I use frozen fruit if they aren't in season) topped with a crumble mix including oats and nuts for extra crunch. And always served with custard!
'Sponge pudding made with jam or golden syrup is popular with kids. Top tip: you don't have to steam it for hours, baking in the oven will work just as well.'
In an effort to get Britons to fall in love with historic puddings again, English Heritage will be launching a cookbook, titled The English Heritage Baking Book, in early September.
The cookbook will contain recipes for all the nation's favourite puddings, as well as many forgotten ones, such as soul cakes and cabinet puddings.
A soul cake is a small round cake with sweet spices that is traditionally made for Halloween, All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day. The practice of baking soul cakes dates back to the medieval period.
Meanwhile, a cabinet pudding, also known as chancellor's pudding or Newcastle pudding, is a traditional steamed pudding made from a combination of bread or sponge cake in custard and cooked in a mould.
English Heritage has also introduced two new pudding-inspired ice cream flavours at their sites, created in partnership with Leeds-based ice cream maker Northern Bloc.
The Sticky Toffee Pudding and Apple Crumble and Custard ice cream flavours are now exclusively available at English Heritage sites across the country.
