Did you know this Sunday is Stir Up Sunday?
It’s the ultimate way to kick off the Christmas cooking season! Time to grab the biggest mixing bowl and load it up with fruit, spice, and a splash of spirit. Getting your Christmas pudding or mincemeat ready now gives it ages to mature, meaning it tastes extra delicious on Christmas Day.
Do you know where the tradition started? It actually comes from the Book of Common Prayer, read on this Sunday before Advent! The phrase, “Stir up, we beseech thee,” is why we get baking! Make sure everyone in the household gets a turn to stir the mixture from East to West (following the Wise Men!), and sneak in a secret wish for the year ahead!
The Pudding’s Wild History
But wait, did you know the Christmas pudding has a wild past? It wasn’t always the sweet, boozy bomb we know and love!
Back in the medieval days, this festive staple actually started life as ‘pottage’—a savoury, soupy mix of meat, grains, and dried fruit. Seriously! Thankfully, things got sweeter. By the late 16th century, ingredients like prunes and raisins were the stars, making it much thicker and richer.
It was a Christmas hit by the mid-1600s, but then the Puritans showed up and BANNED it, calling the pudding ‘too indulgent.’ What a party pooper! Luckily, King George I stepped in during the early 1700s and brought the pud back, reportedly demanding it for his own Christmas feast—a true king!
The final glow-up happened in the Victorian era. Thanks to Christmas champions Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the pudding got its signature look: flaming brandy, the holly on top, and those fun lucky silver tokens inside. And that’s the legendary pud we’re all stirring up today!
The Only Way to Top Your Christmas Pudding
Your pudding is going to be epic, but it needs the ultimate co-star. Forget any old topping and grab the gold standard: our famously rich Devonshire Clotted Cream!
We are intensely proud that the original cream tea was invented in Tavistock in the 11th century, so we know a thing or two about the good stuff. So, remember the golden rule this Christmas when serving your mince pies or pudding: serve it the Devon way—cream first!
Get stirring, get wishing, and get prepping for a seriously delicious Christmas!