if you don't mind
[Edit] Has changed hands and is now more cosmopolitan
Whenever I am in Southampton I make a point of stopping for a pub lunch at the Duke of Wellington.
Which invariably ends with a typically English pudding
Steamed sponge pudding, sticky sweet and swimming in fresh cream
Or the Spotted Dick served with custard.
The Coal Exchange in Emsworth is a regular stop for a homemade Apple Crumble
A nice big plate that is drowning in cream. They also do a good Lemon Meringue and sweet sticky sponge pudding.
Traditional English desserts to round off a leisurely home cooked pub lunch. Simple wholesome food and the hospitality that keeps one coming back over and over.
bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/07/10-desserts-make-brits-america-homesick
The boxed pudding that travels cross country before being popped through a letter box cannot by any stretch of the imagination, be referred to as home cooked.
Whereas a light steaming sponge plucked straight out the hot pan, drenched in golden syrup and served in a bowl of fresh farm cream is what I look forward to at the Royal Oak Hooksway.
A 16th Century pub, it might well be.
But they are pushing boundaries a bit when it comes to traditional Sussex pub food. Not with the desserts though. Besides my sponge pudding there is a crumble of the day
as well as a chocolate fudge cake. Not strictly exclusive to Sussex. But close enough.
It is the Main menu which, besides the sausages which are served with chips, holds no surprises.
A simple standard menu. Exactly what you would expect from a country pub. The ubiquitous burger, pies, ham and eggs, lasagne, curry of the day and jacket potatoes.
Which is what appeals to me. Unassuming, perfectly ordinary, no pretensions. Stricly ordinary hopefully home cooked pub comfort food .
And a Sunday Roast which ranks amongst the better ones I have found in the South Downs.
It was the homemade cake that first caught my eye at Tierra Kitchen in Lyme Regis.
But that was just the beginning of a long slippery slope. Their puddings and cakes taste as good as they look.
How do you choose between passion fruit poached pear with Turkish delight ice cream and the outrageously tempting vegan and gluten free chocolate and raspberry delice?
Offering some of the best desserts in Dorset and southern England, Tierra Kitchen can be found in Lyme Regis in the cultural quarter.
After being told that it is the quintessentially traditional English dessert, I went in search of the Sussex Pond Pudding.
But no luck.
I scoured Google for any telltale signs of the deliciously rich sauce, which oozes out onto the plate when the pudding is cut open to serve. Nothing. Not one restaurant, I could find, that included it on their dessert menus.
Plenty of recipes though. All extolling the merits of this elusive sticky treat.
Whilst it is not the most attractive of puddings, the rich suet pastry encases a delicious filling of brown sugar and butter, with a whole lemon placed in the centre. As the pudding steams, the lemon softens flavouring the butter and brown sugar which when cut open, pools around the plate giving it, it’s name and the sticky goodness which keeps one coming back for more.
But it is not as traditional as it would first appear.
The addition of the lemon is a relatively new innovation. The original recipe was a suet crust flavoured with currants and sugar that’s rolled around a ball of sweetened butter.
[Edit] Closed. Reverted to the original Albion Inn but think it has closed as well.
I never for one moment believed that I would find the perfect Malva pudding in a small village in Kent which lies between the North Downs and the Weald of Kent.
But if you are lucky enough, you could find it on the menu at The Curious Eatery in Boughton Monchelsea. After growing up in Botswana and training in Cape Town, two sisters Lesley & Nicole set up their eatery in the disused Albion Inn.
Rustic, informal and tasteful furnished creating a setting that complements an exciting, vibrant menu.
Homemade, home baked cakes, tarts and chocolatey treats. As well as ever difficult to find traditional bread and butter pudding.
