A majestic Platinum Pudding to celebrate 70 years of service
Fortnum & Mason is inviting all home bakers aged 8 and up to create a sweet pudding fit for The Queen. The Platinum Pudding competition will be judged by a panel of award-winning home bakers, professional chefs, authors, historians and pâtissiers including Dame Mary Berry and Head Chef of the Royal Household, Mark Flanagan LVO.
Five finalists will create their Platinum Pudding live at Fortnum’s 181 Piccadilly store for the panel in the final round. The winning pudding’s recipe will then be shared by Fortnum for everyone to enjoy as part of the historic celebrations and street parties. Fortnum hopes to sell the pudding as either a fresh product in Fortnum & Mason or a packaged item to buy online.
The proof will be in the pudding
Food brings people together and the Platinum Jubilee celebrations are no exception. Street parties have long been part of celebrations for marking the reigns of British monarchs. They are a wonderful way to bring communities and neighbours together to share party food.
That’s why The Big Jubilee Lunch has been chosen as one of the two charities selected to receive all profits from the sales of the Platinum Pudding. Centrepoint, a charity which supports young homeless people, is the other recipient.
Caroline’s competition pudding
Although not participating, Caroline says her competition entry would most likely be a vanilla and yoghurt with pomegranate jelly Panna Cotta, inspired by Lorraine Pascale. The presentation of this pud is stunning, and it’ll taste as good as it looks.
Celebration food inspired by the Royal Family
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee isn’t the only regal celebration to inspire new dishes. Now a staple of British sandwiches and jacket potatoes, Coronation Chicken was specially created by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
It is thought that Spry and Hume’s recipe has its origins in Jubilee Chicken, a dish prepared for the silver jubilee of George V in 1935. This recipe mixed chicken with mayonnaise and curry, and it didn’t feature dried apricots that the 1956 recipe includes.
There have been subsequent variations of Coronation Chicken for each Her Majesty’s jubilees: the Golden Jubilee in 2022 saw another interpretation of ‘Jubilee Chicken’; and Heston Blumenthal created ‘Diamond Jubilee Chicken’ in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee. Disappointingly, this recipe wasn’t released to the public.
Sweet treats with royal connections
Royals have become namesakes for cakes too. The simple yet classic Victoria Sponge is named after Queen Victoria. She enjoyed this delectable variation of a pound cake with her afternoon tea so much that it was named after her. Mrs Beeton’s Cookery and Household Management (1874) included the first printed recipe for ‘Victoria Sandwiches’.
Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Victoria married Prince Louis of Battenburg in 1884, and the famous chequerboard pink and yellow Battenburg cake was first baked in celebration.
The Swedish Royal family has also influenced the naming of teatime treats. ‘Swedish Princess Cake’ is named after the three princesses, Princess Margaretha, Princess Märtha and Princess Astrid, who favoured the cake. Created in 1948, Swedish Princess Cake is a layered sponge cake with raspberry jam and custard, covered in green marzipan, powdered sugar, and topped off with pink marzipan or real rose. It’s a very beautiful and elegant cake, almost too ornate to eat.
I don’t know about you, but I’m now in the mood for some tea and cake!
Get in touch to find out more about beautiful bespoke kitchens with top of the rage appliances to create your very own fit-for-royalty puddings and teatime treats. Call Caroline or Kevin on 01635 863853 or email info@thatchamkitchendesigns.co.uk to book a showroom appointment.
