FAQs

Good question. There are many myths surrounding Christmas pudding. We like to believe that it started as a 14th-century porridge called "frumenty" that contained beef and mutton (hence continued references to “mincemeat”)– along with the more familiar currants, raisins, prunes, wine and spices. By the late 16th century, this had evolved into Plum Pudding, which was thickened with eggs and breadcrumbs, with the addition of beer and spirits. Some say that Christmas pudding should be made with 13 ingredients, to represent Christ and the 12 Disciples. The Victorians cooked their puddings in fancy moulds to make them look like castles. Charles Dickens even immortalised the type of pudding we recognise now when he referred them in A Christmas Carol.

The easiest and quickest way is to microwave the pudding, however if you have time and prefer more traditional methods, we like to warm ours in a water bath (bain-marie) above about two inches of boiling water, letting the 800g pudding simmer beneath the saucepan lid for 10-15 minutes – and leaving the 1kg to heat through for 20-25 minutes. We're pretty sure you'll have clean plates, but on the off-chance you have any left, you can always re-heat your pudding for round two.

While most Christmas puddings contain animal suet, we’re pleased to say that our family twist on the traditional recipe is beloved by vegetarians worldwide. We replaced the suet with extra butter to make our puddings lighter and fluffier – and suitable for those who, like us, prefer their puddings animal fat-free.

Sure – 3-4 minutes for the 450g and 7-10 minutes for the 800g-1kg pudding on a medium setting works well. You can also wrap our puddings in foil, and oven cook them at 180°for 15-20 minutes. Either way, don’t overdo it, or you’ll ruin the light, fluffy texture that makes our puddings so special.

Sometimes good things come to those who wait. So, as long as it’s unopened, your pudding will keep for two years after the production date, which you’ll find on the outside packaging.

No. Our puddings have been matured in Guinness Stout and French Brandy, to make them just right. Freezing would ruin this process, so just open, heat – douse with alcohol, light – and enjoy!

We like ours with lashings of brandy butter. Lots of our loyal fans prefer brandy cream, ice cream – or a hefty dose of all three!