Regional & Seasonal: Georgie Porgie’s Puddings, Devon

At his Devon kitchen, George Hollywood makes special puddings for a true taste of Christmas

SWIRLS OF CLOUD, studded with stars, sparkle against the deep blue of the night sky. Beneath the inky darkness, softly glistening snow coats the landscape, winter making its presence felt in the stillness. Dotted in the folds of the countryside are clusters of low buildings, glowing with the lights of Christmas. In the comfort of home, there is a tangible excitement as families gather around the dining table, the air rich with the aroma of spiced fruit. With lights dimmed, the pinnacle of the Christmas feast is brought to the table: a Christmas pudding, decked with holly and twinkling like a bauble, with blue, brandy-fed flames.

Historically known as plum pudding, with the term ‘plum’ originally referring to the dried fruit, the Christmas pudding was traditionally composed of 13 ingredients symbolising Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, and which included fruit, eggs and suet, flavoured with a variety of spices. Today, there are many variations on the traditional recipe. As stated in Cassell’s 1875 Dictionary of Cookery: ‘In almost every family there is a recipe for it, which has been handed down… generations, and which has never been and never will be equalled… by any other.’ This is certainly the case for George Hollywood, owner of Georgie Porgie’s Puddings, who has been making traditional puddings in a range of tantalising flavours for 26 years; each to a closely guarded secret recipe, ‘like Grandma used to make’.

At the age of 13, George started cleaning floors at a factory in the coastal town of Budleigh Salterton, East Devon. Over the next five years, he trained in all aspects of the cottage industry, eventually setting up his own business in 1994 making traditional steamed puddings. “With the help of The Prince’s Trust youth business loan, I established kitchens in Ottery St Mary in 1996,” explains George. Since then, the business has grown year on year, winning a number of awards and receiving a Royal seal of approval. It has also come full circle, with George buying the original building he used to work in as a child. “I bought the premises in Budleigh four years ago and have since demolished the old site and built a kitchen, with a small shop and tasting bar at the front.”

For George, the Christmas pudding is simple and cherished, with a carefully selected combination of fresh ingredients, including currants, sultanas, raisins, brandy and rum. “We try to buy all our ingredients as local as possible. Each of our puddings are made by hand, rather than using machines, as this keeps the

air in the mix and produces a lighter texture.” They are then steamed on-site and allowed to cool naturally.

The puddings can be bought online and are delivered with a minimum of six months’ shelf life, wrapped in foodgrade muslin cloth. They can be heated or steamed on the day to gently release the aromas and juices.

George has also experimented with a range of flavour combinations to create desserts that can be enjoyed all year round, including a pudding made from West Country cider, fresh apples and brandy, as well as a gin pudding, which mixes traditional fruit with citrus flavours and an alcoholic punch. “Our own gin-based butter recipe combines perfectly with the gin pudding,” adds George.

Handmade, traditional steamed sponges are also available in a range of flavours, including lemon curd, spotted dick, chocolate, honey and ginger, jam, treacle, and toffee, as well as a festive mince pie flavour.

Traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously and greeted with a round of applause, the Christmas pudding has become a key part of the festive celebrations and is the humble origins of George’s business. As Charles Dickens describes in his 1843 novel A Christmas Carol, it is simply a ‘speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top.’ It is a taste of Christmas.