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There is rarely a greater comfort than a dish of homemade sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble or treacle sponge being set on the table after during a family dinner.
But the prominence of these British classics appears to be crumbling - as new research suggests they are even on the verge of extinction within the next 50 years.
Once a staple of family dinners, English Heritage has found only 2 per cent of British households still make a daily homemade pudding, with 62 per cent rarely or never making them at all.
The research revealed that classic puddings are even less popular with younger people, with only 17 per cent of under 25s naming classic hot puddings such as crumbles and steam puddings as their favourite dessert, in comparison to 45 per cent of over 55s.
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Once a staple of family dinners, English Heritage has found only 2 per cent of British households still make a daily homemade pudding, with 62 per cent rarely or never making them at all.(Hannah Hughes)
“Sweet puddings are closely intertwined with British history and although our waistlines might benefit, I think we’d all agree, it would be a huge shame for them to die out,” Dr Andrew Hann, Senior Curator of History at English Heritage, said.
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He explained how recipes for sweetened meat pies can be found as far back as medieval times and, by the Tudor and Stuart periods. He said that puddings sweetened with honey or fruit were common, although many would also have contained meat.
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The peak of Britain’s obsession with puddings peaked in the 1950s. But English Heritage said its decline appears to have started in the 1970s, when more women began to enter the workforce, causing a shift in family dynamics.
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The peak of Britain’s obsession with puddings peaked in the 1950s(Getty/iStock)
Whilst nearly half of those born before 1970 said that their parents made puddings several times a week, even during the hottest days of summer, that was the case for only 25 per cent of those born in the 1970s.
The decline has continued ever since – with only 14 per cent of 18–24-year-olds saying their parents made puddings several times a week and 28 per cent saying their parents never made homemade puddings.
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Gateau aux pommes - a favourite Victorian recipe.(English Heritage)
Today, 62 per cent of British households make puddings once a month or less, with 35 per cent never making any at all.
Dr Hann said: “The research shows a clear shift away from the traditional dessert over the past 50 years. As more women entered the workforce from the 1970s onwards, households no longer had as much time to cook and started to prioritise convenience.
“People tend to ‘like what they know’ and, over time, this has led to puddings falling out of fashion with younger generations who rarely eat them. If this decline continues, we can expect the classic Great British pud to all but vanish within the next 50 years.
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Recipes for sweetened meat pies can be found as far back as medieval times and, by the Tudor and Stuart periods.(Getty/iStock)
“I’m pretty sure I speak for most people when I say that is not something we want to happen! There truly is nothing better in life than syrup sponge smothered in custard.”
Although 36 per cent of those surveyed named classic hot puddings as their favourite, cold and healthier desserts have surged in popularity.
Fresh fruit is now the most widely consumed dessert with 68 per cent of people eating it, closely followed by ice cream at 66 per cent.
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People are 68 per cent more likely to eat frozen desserts such as ice cream than homemade traditional puddings, despite only 9 per cent of people declaring them their favourite.
In an attempt to reignite Britain’s love affair with historic puddings, English Heritage has introduced two new pudding-inspired ice cream flavours to its sites and published a baking book.