Jemma’s pudding fit for a Queen!
SOUTHPORT home baker Jemma Melvin has won the BBC TV show The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking.
Judges included TV cookery presenter and author Dame Mary Berry, Masterchef judge Monica Galetti – and a surprise guest, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall.
Jemma’s winning entry was a sensational seven-layered, citrus-packed lemon swiss roll and amaretti trifle.
She was one of five finalists selected for the programme after more than 5,000 people from across the UK sent in their recipes.
An emotional Jemma told the show that her culinary skills were inspired by her grandmothers, who taught her how to bake.
Dame Mary Berry said: “Britain is going to be so delighted - and so is The Queen!”
Jemma’s dessert featured: a lemon curd swiss roll on the bottom; St Clement’s jelly; lemon custard; amaretti biscuits; mandarin orange coulis; fresh whipped cream; candied peel chocolate shards; and amaretti crushed biscuits.
A phenomenal response of nearly 5,000 entries flooded in from across the country, from Southport to Land’s End to Duncansby Head.
The final short list of 50 was judged ‘blind’ – purely by recipe alone - and selected by executive pastry chef, Fortnum & Mason, Roger Pizey; Fortnum’s chef director Sydney Aldridge and their team.
They painstakingly assessed the incredible range of different styles of cakes, tarts and puddings, to select the final 50.
Together with Buckingham Palace head chef Mark Flanagan LVO, Roger Pizey and Sydney Aldridge filtered the 50 to a final five ambitious, passionate and creative bakers – all sharing inspirational stories behind their stunning designs.
The show followed finalists Jemma, Kathryn, Sam, Shabnam and Susan as they made their way from across the UK to London and walk through the iconic Fortnum & Mason doors to prepare their culinary creations fit for The Queen.
Under the watchful and supportive eye of chef Roger Pizey and his team, there was no time limit for the finalists to prepare their beloved recipes before presenting them to the esteemed judging panel.
Chaired by Dame Mary Berry the judging panel comprised award-winning home bakers and professional chefs, authors, historians and pâtissiers including Monica Galetti, proprietor of Mere, TV presenter and judge on MasterChef: The Professionals; food writer, author and baker Jane Dunn; baker, author and TV presenter Rahul Mandal; pastry chef Matt Adlard; and culinary historian and author Regula Ysewijn.
After presenting her entry to the judges, Jemma said: “That was amazing! I am so happy and excited for them to taste it.
“The thought of people recreating my pudding, especially during the Jubilee, is a total pleasure.”
Dame Mary Berry said: “It is absolutely wonderful. The humble mandarin orange has certainly given this a lift.”
Monica Galetti said: “Firstly I am wondering how I am going to get this trifle into a taxi!
“I love lemon. Sometimes people hold back, and they are scared to put the lemon into it. As you are eating this, you think ‘ah, this can’t get any better!’
“Then I got chunks of the amaretti biscuits that soaked up the cream, and they are chewy, and I am so happy right now.”
When she was told she had won, Jemma’s first reaction was to phone her grandma.
She said: “I have to tell my grandmother first. She is the one who taught me to bake and she is going to be so proud.”
The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking aired on BBC One last Thursday night (May 12) and is now available via BBC iPlayer.
The fab five were plucked from thousands of people in a national competition to find a new pudding to mark The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee.
Following in the footsteps of the Coronation Chicken and the Victoria Sponge, Jemma’s winning recipe will now go down in history and become part of the British food story.
Up and down the country on Jubilee weekend the winning recipe will be recreated at street parties, family events and community gatherings as the centrepiece to the nation’s celebrations as the Platinum Pudding.
The winning recipe will be available online via the BBC Good Food, Fortnum’s and The Big Jubilee Lunch websites.