Britain in 10 Bakes – a tasty tour of the UK
Missing the Great British Bake Off already? We’re here to ease the pain with 10 different cakes and bakes from around Britain.
Take a tasty tour of the UK below!
Cornish Pasty – Cornwall
No cutlery required for our first bake, the famous Cornish pasty.
Only pasties shaped like the letter ‘D’ with ingredients of beef, swede, potato and onion and prepared in the county can be sold as authentic pasties!
Best place to try: Philps, a family business selling Cornish pasties since 1958. Shops in Hayle, Marazion, Camborne, St.Ives and Praze-an-Beeble.
Scottish Shortbread – Scotland
Hailing from Scotland this buttery, crumbly shortbread is a classic, and Walkers Shortbread is the biggest exporter.
Pick a packet at your local supermarket and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Bakewell Tarts – Derbyshire
With almonds, jam filling and icing, all wrapped up in pastry, it’s no wonder that the Bakewell has been voted one of the country’s favourite baked treats.
Best place to try: The Bakewell Tart Shop & Coffee House on Matlock Street in the Peak District.
Melton Mowbray Pork Pies – Leicestershire
Although these savoury pies are made across the country you can only find the Melton Mowbray pork pie in…Melton Mowbray!
A Melton Mowbray pork pie has bow-shaped sides, the fresh pork turns grey when cooked and the pie is well filled with jelly.
Best place to try it: Dickinson & Morris of Melton Mowbray in the Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe on Nottingham Street.
Sticky Toffee Pudding – Lake District
Unknown to some, but this baked sponge hails from the Lake District, and nothing beats a bowl of it with custard!
Best place to try: Cartmel Village Shop in The Square.
Chelsea Buns – London
These sticky buns have been around since the 18th Century.
First invented at a place called ‘The Bun House’ in Chelsea, London, they’re filled with juicy currents and are best enjoyed with a nice cup of tea.
Best place to try: Strangely, the famous Fitzbillies cake shop in Cambridge is known to offer Britain’s best Chelsea buns. Find branches on Bridge Street and Trumpington Street.
Welsh Cakes – Wales
A teatime treat across Wales, Welsh cakes are traditionally cooked on a hot, cast iron griddle (known locally as a ‘bake stone’) and are filled with currants.
Best place to try it Fabulous Welshcakes at Mermaid Quay, in Cardiff.
Parkin – Yorkshire
Originating in Yorkshire, parkin is traditionally made from oatmeal, black treacle, margarine, brandy and ginger. It’s basically like eating ginger bread cake!
Best place to try: Lottie Shaw’s in Yorkshire has been making parkin and other baked goods for over 100 years. There are plenty of recipes online too, so you can even try to make your own!
Eton Mess – Berkshire
The famous boarding school in Berkshire is where this sickly-sweet treat is from.
Originally made from strawberries or bananas mixed with ice-cream or cream, and traditionally served at cricket matches, the name of this delightful dessert comes from it being a bit of a state!
Try making this treat yourself: Whip up double cream, smash in some meringue and add fresh strawberries.
Gypsy Tart – Kent
This unusual dessert from Kent is made from evaporated milk, muscovado sugar and pastry.
A popular staple of school dinner menus, it’s now been re-appraised as a culinary classic. There are plenty of modern variations out there with recipes from Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and more!
