It's the height of summer so we're reluctant to mention the 'C' word yet. However, at a Notts bakery thoughts have already turned to the festive season.
Christmas pudding production is well under way at Welbeck Bakehouse on the historic country estate, in the heart of Sherwood Forest.
The yuletide favourite takes four months to mature and needs to be hand mixed once a week for months.
Traditional and lightly spiced, the puddings are packed with brandy-soaked fruit and made with handcrafted ale brewed by one of the bakehouse’s closest neighbours, Welbeck Abbey Brewery, just a short walk across the yard.
“The puddings are mixed early in the year to allow the flavours time to mature properly,” explained Mark Garry, the bakehouse's general manager.
“It’s a two-stage process. We soak the fruit in copious amounts of alcohol for around seven days, then using our secret blend of spices, we mix and bake them long and slow - up to five hours. They then get around four months to mature.”
An award-winning recipe is followed to the letter.
The puddings, along with the bakehouse’s traditional mince pies, will be available later this year in a number of small outlets, including the estate’s own Welbeck Farm Shop.
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