Bakewell Pudding

The pudding is a flaky pastry shell spread with jam and filled with a set custard of egg and ground almond, wobbly rather than cakey, and it is a different thing from the Bakewell tart sold nationally, which has a shortcrust base and a firm frangipane top, and different again from the iced cherry version made by a large manufacturer. The origin story, told on every shop wall in town, has a cook at the White Horse Inn in the 1820s misreading instructions and spreading the egg mixture over the jam instead of stirring it into the pastry; the story is unverifiable and appears in print only much later. Three bakeries in Bakewell each sell it as the original, with rival claims to the recipe, and the argument is part of the town's trade.

What you'll find

• The set custard - egg and almond over jam, wobbly rather than sponge.
• The three rival shops - competing claims to the original recipe in one town.
• The tart distinction - shortcrust and frangipane, a different item entirely.
• The White Horse story - an origin tale first printed long after the event.

When to go

Year-round; the shops open daily and puddings are baked through the day. Bakewell's Monday market is the busiest day in town, and the Bakewell Show runs in early August.

Practical notes

It is very rich and a whole one is more than one person wants. The origin story is marketing rather than documented history. Bakewell is small and parking is limited and charged, with weekend queues at all three bakeries.

Nearby

Chatsworth and Haddon Hall are short drives; the Monsal Trail runs from town.