Is there a Bakewell Tart Day? According to a Google search 11 August is national Bakewell Tart Day, and it appears that not a lot of people know this, perhaps because its inception was only four years ago.
Although I live in this lovely Peak District town, I was quite unaware of this celebration, so decided to do some sleuthing. First stop was our award-winning Old House Museum, where they looked a little puzzled by the idea of this celebratory day. I also visited the three main purveyors offering the ‘original’ tarts and puddings; one thought there may be such a Day, another had celebrated it in June, and another believed it to be in July.
The mystery may be deepened by the whole question of the ‘tart’ and the ‘pudding’ and why both exist. The Old House Museum does indeed have a display about its town’s eponymous pudding and how it is traditionally made, and also offers an enlightening booklet on the subject by historian Dr Trevor Brighton. A founder of the Bakewell & District Historical Society, he is also the author of the definitive history of the town stretching back to its days as an Anglo-Saxon settlement.
Bakewell tart – what is this confection?
Dr Brighton describes the apocryphal origins of the sweetmeat and the various claims to ownership of its ‘original’ or ‘secret’ recipe. It is now generally accepted that Mrs Ann Greaves, wife of the owner of the ancient Rutland Arms Hotel, invented the pudding in the early nineteenth century. The unproven story is that it all came about by accident when her flustered maid, serving a group of dignitaries, mistakenly poured jam straight onto a pastry case, rather than onto the traditional custard topping.
Another less likely tale involves the dropping of large amounts of eggs that had to be scooped up and thrown on top of the jam! The important and distinctive addition of ground almonds and almond essence to the egg custard was actually Mrs Greaves’ contribution, and by 1859 this was reflected in the description of a Bakewell Pudding given in the famous Mrs Beaton’s Cookbook.
The tart versus the pudding
Confusions with jam and broken eggs notwithstanding, what is the essential difference between the tart and the pudding? Since at least Tudor days, a pudding has been eaten as dessert after a meal, and the more recent tart is generally a teatime treat eaten on its own. So there is general agreement that the pudding came first. And the difference is in the pastry: flaky or puff for the pudding, rich shortcrust for the tart.
Some tarts are also topped with icing, a later development that to my mind adds nothing but extra and unnecessary sweetness. Is one ‘better’ than the other? As Brighton said during his past tenure as Mayor: “It is a pleasant part of my lot to recommend all the puddings and tarts from all the manufacturers in town with equal satisfaction.” Further, in his booklet, he offers no less than seven recipes if you want to try your hand and delight your friends.
A famous dessert, or maybe two
Even if the tart and the pudding may vie for supremacy, even if there is lack of clarity about its national day, there is no doubt that the fame of this confection has spread across our country and beyond. It has even inspired a novel about rekindling an old romance: A Slice of Bakewell Tart. Naturally, when visiting friends, I take a dessert from my home town, and the proof of the pudding is that I generally get invited back! My tip is that, as these confections are both very rich and sweet, they are best enjoyed in small servings with a generous dollop of soured cream. Happy Bakewell Tart Day!
