Bakewell Puddings and Tarts

Like many good inventions the Bakewell Pudding (or is it Bakewell Tart?) was discovered by accident. The story goes that in the White Horse (now the Rutland Arms pictured above) a cook made a mistake making a strawberry tart and instead of stirring the eggs and almond paste mixture into the pastry, spread it on top of the jam. The result was such a success that a new dish was born.

There seems to be two different versions now.
The tart version consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with jam and covered with a sponge-like filling enriched with ground almonds (known as Frangipane). Accoring to the leaflet I bought in the Bakewell Tart & Coffee House, they're the only place which makes the Bakewell Tart. This shop does traditional Bakewell Tarts, moist Bakewell Tarts (a variation with the addition of coconut), Iced Bakewell Tarts (which can also be personalised) and Bakewell puddings:
The Bakewell Tart Shop
Matlock Street
Bakewell
DE45 1EE

Tel: 01629 814692

Web: www.bakewelltartshop.co.uk

Email: orders@bakewelltartshop.co.uk

The Pudding version consists of a puff pastry shell with a layer of jam, covered with a filling of eggs, sugar, butter and almonds.
This is the sort they sell in the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop. Apparently Mrs Wilson, the wife of the town candlemaker who lived in the cottage where this shop now is, aquired the recipe from the assistant cook of the White Horse.
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop
The Square
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1BT

Tel: 01629 812193

Web: www.bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk

Bloomers was I thought another name for what the mistake the cook at the White Horse made, but apparently a Mr Bloomer got the recipe from a Mr Radford who inherited it from Mrs Greaves (the landlady of the White Horse)!
Bloomer's recipe is, of course, secret and kept locked up...
Bloomers Original Bakewell Pudding
Water Street
Water Lane
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1EU

Tel: 01629 814844

The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop and Bloomers Original Bakewell Puddings are now banding together to apply to get Protection of Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protection of Geographic Indication (PGI) for their product from the EU.

None of these product should be confused with Mr Kipling's offerings!