The origins of Christmas pudding
stretch back to the 16th century when it was known as plum pottage
which consisted of meats, grains, spices and fruits (particularly raisins and
currants, rather than plums) which was boiled in a bag. As sugar became more
widespread and cheaper, the use of meat in the dish dwindled. Although it was
banned by the Puritan Government, it was revived by King George I in 1714 as
part of his first Christmas feast. Its traditional moniker was adopted by the
beginning of the 19th century, as far back as 1830 recipes
resembling what we consider a quintessential Christmas pudding began to appear.
Beer has been used in various recipes for
Christmas pudding dating back to the mid 19th century; Stout has usually
been the beer of choice, although strong ales and barley wines have also been
suggested as a good alternative. It’s status as an ingredient was cemented in
1926 when Andre Cedard, then royal chef to King George V and Queen Mary, developed
a Christmas pudding that consisted of ingredients sourced from different parts
of the empire. It included ingredients such as currants from Australia, cut
candied peel from South Africa, rum from Jamaica, cinnamon from India/ Ceylon,
and even British beer. The following year, the Empire Marketing Board made the recipe
available to the public, in order to encourage purchase of goods from the
colonies. As far back as the 1930’s, breweries have been encouraging consumers to
use their beers in recipes for Christmas pudding. In November 1936, Barclay
Perkins published a piece in an issue their in-house publication Anchor
Magazine, advising users to add a dash of their strong ale Southwarke Ale
(6.1%) to the recipe. The tradition of breweries issuing recipes for
Christmas pudding using their beers continues to this day, Hook Norton published
a recipe under the name of Granny Di’s Christmas Pudding that includes 5oz of their
festive themed porter Twelve Days (5.5%) in the extensive list of
ingredients, which they proclaim as the magic ingredient. Likewise in 2016, St
Austell featured a recipe that advises users to soak fruit overnight in their stout
Menu Dhu (4.5%), to help make the finished article a proper plump,
deliciously rich and dark pudding. And, Cheddar Ales issued a recipe that advises
to use a generous glug of their port-tinged festive porter Festive Totty (4.5%)
into the mix. Moreover, the idea of a brewery releasing their own Christmas
pudding on a commercial basis once seemed a remote impossibility, however in
2012, Fullers found its way into the news when it sold Christmas Puddings laced
with their Black Cab Stout (4.5%) at over a 150 of their pubs across London
and the south east. They also teamed up with Hailo, a Black Cab app to offer
free limited edition Christmas puddings to passengers. These special Christmas puddings
have continued to be sold at their pubs on an annual basis. For over a decade
now, breweries have been commercially releasing pre-prepared Christmas puddings
that utilize their iconic beers, where it sold either online or through their
brewery shop, at a farmers’ market and quite often through a third-party
business such a local bakery firm.
Adnams is one of the UK’s oldest
family brewers with a lineage stretching back to 1872 when George and Ernest
Adnams purchased the Sole Bay brewery in Southwold, and soon established a
flourishing business that in time would see their beers sold around the
country. To coincide with their centenary in 1972, they launched a new beer Broadside
(6.5%), a strong ale to mark the tercentenary of the Battle of Sole Bay. Bold
in flavour, with a fruit sweetness, aromas of fruitcake, balanced bitterness
and the warming strength characteristic of a strong ale, this would seem the
ideal fit for a Christmas pudding. Steve Herbert, proprietor of the Old Spot Inn
in Dursley remarked back in 2007, “I strongly believe
in beers that are like Christmas pudding – something slightly sweet, above 5%
in alcohol, that warms you up on your journey home.” This message,
somewhat belatedly hit home to brewers like Adnams, whom in 2013 released a Christmas
pudding laced with Broadside (6.5%), and unlike other breweries this one
was commercially sold for the retail market, it’s release proved to be a game
changer, which subsequently encouraged other breweries across the land to
follow their lead. Like Adnams, Harvey’s of Lewes is another family brewery which
has been plying the brewing trade since 1790, the brewery remains in the family
with the seventh and eight generation working there today. Harvey’s festive
themed Christmas Ale (7.2%) coincidentally was first released the same
year as Broadside (6.5%), and it has become one of the longest continuously
brewed Christmas beers in the country. The brewery describes it as “a traditional barley wine exudes biscuity malts and rich
vinous fruits, all balanced by a strong hop bitterness.” A multi-award-winning
beer that helps embody the Christmas spirit, it has won many awards since 1992
including the BBI Awards, International Beer Challenge, The British Bottlers
Beer Competition, The Great British Beer Festival and the CAMRA Beer Awards on
a number of occasions. It was inevitable that this beer would find its way onto
a Christmas pudding at some point, and in 2013 they challenged Adnams on the
market with their own Christmas Pudding which utilized their legendary Christmas
Ale (7.2%) into the mix; and much like the production of the beer, the
puddings are given a long maturation period, they are produced in January using
the previous year’s batch of beer then matured for 10 months before it is put
on release, as far as puds go this is surely a record? It has been sold on annual
basis for over a decade now, and has often been described as a staple of Sussex
Christmas dinner activities, such was its demand that their batch in January
2020 alone used 540 pints of Christmas Ale (7.2%) in the mix. In 2016,
Chiltern Brewery joined in the rush and released their own Christmas pudding
that utilized their popular Lord Lieutentant’s Porter (6%). The brewery has been
treading the boards since 1980 when it was founded by Richard and Lesley
Jenkinson, to this day they remain one of the longest-running family brewers in
Buckinghamshire. In 2000, they marked their 20th anniversary with
the release of a new beer, Lord Lieutenant’s Porter (6%). A smooth, rich
and smoky porter, the beer was named after Sir Nigel Mobbs, then Lord
Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. In honour of this bestowing, he launched the
beer at their 20th anniversary event. It has gone onto become one of
the brewery’s most successful beers, winning a string of awards including 7
Great Taste awards, 2 BBI National awards and a bronze medal at the SIBA
Midlands awards 2005 (bottled beer category). So, it is understandable that this
beer would eventually find it’s way into a Christmas pudding recipe and fast
forward sixteen years later, the brewery took plunge and produced their own puddings
within their kitchens at the King’s Head, Aylesbury, notable one of two pubs
that the brewery owns. The puddings are made in July then matured for several months
for release, it is wrapped up in a traditional muslin cloth, and sold in four
sizes ranging from ½lb to 3lb. Unlike its competitors it can only be heated up
by steaming. Although it is only sold on a limited release basis (both online
and at their brewery store), its continued success with punters has subsequently
seen it re-released on annual basis to this day.
Buoyed by the commercial success
of these Christmas puddings, belatedly another established brewer, Theakston’s,
belatedly joined in on the act. Founded in 1827 by Robert Theakston and John
Wood in Masham, North Yorkshire, the brewery has since become one of the county’s
largest brewers, and is currently the 2nd biggest brewer still under
family ownership. Landlord (4.1%) is the brewery’s best known and most widely
sold beers, it has won a number of awards including several at the Great
British Beer Festival, notably four-times Supreme Champion Beer of Britain. It
was developed in 1952, as a means of producing a strong pale ale that would
help meet the demands of the growing popularity for bottled beers at the time. Despite
growing competition from keg beer, from the brewery persevered and from the
1970’s onwards the beer started to gain accolades across the brewing industry. In
2019, the brewery collaborated with Yorkshire based baker Lottie Shaw’s, to
produce a Christmas pudding that utilized their flagship Landlord (4.1%),
where the fruit was soaked in beer prior to mixing. The puddings were released,
wrapped in a festive themed tea towel. Since they first appeared on the scene, Lottie
Shaw’s have become one of the most prominent bakery wholesalers in the country
with treats like Gingerbread, Flapjacks and Parkin being sold all over the
country. Coming from a long line of bakers, Shaw was inspired to go into
business after she encouraged to revive her family’s Yorkshire Parkin recipe,
she subsequently set up her own business with her husband Ian. The company has
since won 7 Great Taste awards and in 2018 was awarded Official Taste of
Yorkshire. However, this wasn’t the first time the bakery had collaborated with
a brewery, the previous year they developed a Christmas pudding in conjunction
with Saltaire Brewery, using their pale ale. Yet the cooperation between one of
Yorkshire’s oldest breweries with one of the region’s most successful commercial
bakers proved to be a winner, and such was its success that it was re-released
the following year. Saltaire Brewery evidently have collaborated with a number
of independent bakeries towards the production of Christmas puddings, for example
in 2013, Saltaire Brewery collaborated with Jeff Baker (aka Thomas Baker)
produced a Christmas pudding that utilized Saltaire’s Triple Choc Stout (4.5%).
Baker remarked at the time of its release that this was no ordinary Christmas
pudding, noting “it has a generous splash of Saltaire
Brewery Triple Chocoholic Stout and Belgian chocolate chips added to the
recipe. It might sound a little different to what you’re used to, but trust me,
it’s good. And I’m not even a big fan of Christmas pudding!” The beer in
question, is one of Saltaire Brewery’s most successful products since they launched
operations in the historically teetotal town of its namesake back in 2006. Triple
Choc Stout (4.5%) features a unique recipe where chocolate malt is
complemented by cocoa and chocolate essence to create a strong chocolate
flavour, that is balanced by the bitterness from the use of Fuggles hops. It has won a slew of international awards,
including Overall Country Winner (Flavoured Beer) at the World Beer Awards
2019, Gold and Overall Country Winner in the Flavoured Chocolate and Coffee
category at the World Beer Awards 2021, and Gold winner in Speciality Beer
category at Great British Beer Festival 2017. So quite understandably the combination
of the beer with this Christmas pudding recipe would create an explosion in chocolatey
flavour, alas despite such promise the pudding however was only a one-off release,
however in 2018, Otley based baker Bondgate Bakery took up the reigns and collaborated
with Saltaire to produce a new Christmas pudding utilizing the beer. Described
as a marriage made in heaven, it continued success has prompted the bakery to
re-release on an annual basis.
For some breweries, the idea of a
wide county or nationwide release seems like an impossible dream, and for some
Christmas pudding collaborations this remains a strictly localised affair. The
likes of Tring Brewery have collaborated with a number of independent food
producers over years, producing products that utilize their beers. As
Hertfordshire’s 2nd largest brewer, operating in the town of Tring
since 1992, the stakes of often quite high when it comes to the commercial
retail of their products, their mostly heavily used example is Death or
Glory (7.2%), strong rich barley wine with a potent alcoholic nose, it was
first brewed in 1994, by appointment of the Queens Royal Lancers. This beer is
one of the brewery’s iconic releases despite only being released in bottle
generally, and it has been used in a wide variety of foodstuffs including
Chutneys, Pies, Biltong and even Charcuterie Sticks. In 2019, they took the
plunge and developed a Christmas pudding in conjunction with Berkhamsted based
baker Natasha Collins of Nevie-Pie Cakes based in Berkhamstead, to produce a
Christmas pudding that utilized their iconic barley wine Death or Glory (7.2%),
generous amounts of beer were thrown into the mix, along with a glug of dark
rum and a flurry of vine fruits and spices. At the time of it’s release, it created
a flurry of attention in the local press, the pudding was even reviewed on Nick
Coffer’s radio show at BBC Three Counties radio, when Anna and Nat from Kitchen
Conversations were interviewed about the pudding. Sadly, the pudding is no
longer released, and it remains an intriguing ‘episode’ in the brewery’s illustrious
history of food-based collaborations. Another regional brewer has looked even
closer to home when it came to producing a Christmas pudding, for instance, in
2015, Wellbeck Brewery worked with their neighbours at the Wellbeck Bakehouse
to develop a Christmas pudding, which was produced by one of the bakers,
Richard Smith. The pudding hails from an old family recipe, it utilizes brandy-soaked
fruit and Portland Black (4.5%) in the mix. The puddings are cooked and
steamed the traditional way, in natural cheesecloth. The pudding has since won
a Great Taste award in 2016, and has become a figurehead in their extensive
Christmas range of baked goods and continues to be sold on an annual basis. Situated
in the heart of the Sherwood Forest, the brewery has become one of
Nottinghamshire’s most successful brewers since Claire Monk established the microbrewery
on the Wellbeck Estate back in 2011. Portland Black (4.5%) has become one
of the brewery’s most well-known seasonal releases. A velvety black Porter with
notes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate, CAMRA describes it as a “black ale with a roast malt aroma and taste throughout, and
a well balanced bitterness.” It has previously
won Silver (Porter category) at SIBA Midlands 2018. It is also available in
bottle, cask and mini-cask. The unexpected success of this pudding,
subsequently prompted the brewery to develop future collaborations with bakers,
for instance in 2017, Portland Black (4.5%) was utilized towards the
production of ale flavoured breads created by apprentice bakers at The School
of Artisan Food, also based in Welbeck. Moreover, another award winner on the
Christmas pudding front is LillyPuds, established in 2015 by Alison Lily of
Chelmsford, in the first year of production she produced two Christmas puddings
that utilized beer in the recipe, sourced from breweries based in the east of
England. A traditional version made with Chockwork Orange (6.5%) from nearby
Brentwood Brewery, and a gluten free version made with St Peter’s (of Bungay,
Suffolk) gluten free Cream Stout (6.5%). Her puddings use 50% fruit (but
no mixed peel), vegetable suet, 5% sugar and beer. The finished concoction has
often been described as light and fruity. Although neither puddings are officially
released through the breweries in question, they quickly established her status
as a commercial baker in the region. Clare Youell writing in Essex Live back in
2017 reported, “in the first year she sold 600 of her
beautifully gift-boxed Christmas puddings to shops, as well as 500 mini
puddings to restaurants and pubs. In the first year, she trebled her turnover,
selling 2,000 of the desserts to shops and private customers and 3,000 to
eateries.” Both
the traditional pudding and the gluten free version take up 20% of the
company’s total orders. The puddings were sold to businesses based all over
Essex, including retail stores, pubs, restaurants and garden centres; in 2017
alone, a total of 20,000 puddings were created in order to meet demand. Building
on this success, these puddings have received a number of Great Taste awards including
most recently in 2021 when it was finalist in the hot puddings category and
managed to get the Highly Commended award. To this day, the puddings continue
to be sold online and are widely available in retail outlets across Essex.
Although the instances of
breweries producing and releasing Christmas puddings is vanishingly small on
the scale of things, it remains an intriguing cottage industry. The idea of
breweries risking commercial disaster in order to release a Christmas pudding
utilizing one of their beers understandably puts most breweries off the idea,
however for the ones who have taken the plunger like Adnams, Chiltern and Harvey’s
for instance, the results have paid off and have proved successful, even to the
point of serving as a useful marketing tool for their beers. Sometimes the relationship
goes the other way round, rather than being produced in-house or on a commission
related basis, there have been examples of a number of independent and commercial
bakers who have taken it upon themselves to produce a Christmas pudding using a
locally produced beer. The likes of LillyPuds are perhaps the most successful and
enduring example of this practise, where through perseverance it has sowed a
lot of good fortune for the company. Although there are number of beers out
there that go well with a Christmas pudding, such as Saint Petersburg (7.4%)
– Thornbridge, Plum Porter (4.9%) – Titanic, 1845 (6.3%) –
Fullers, or Plum Pudding (4.8%) – J.W Lees, some of which are
mentioned in this fascinating article from the Morning
Advertiser. The idea of combining iconic beers directly in the production
of Christmas puddings remains an intriguing one, and when the opportunity of
finding a commercially release Christmas pudding out there that features a beer
in its recipe, the opportunity is difficult to resist.
‘Chelmsford
woman makes 10,000 Christmas puddings ready for the big day’ by Clare Youell,
Essex Live, 7th December 2017
