Anyone for a record slice of Xmas pudding in 1985?

BURTON entered the record books in December 1985 by producing the largest Christmas pudding.

- By STEPHEN SINFIELD

The record attempt was a joint effort between the Burton Mail, Ind Coope Brewery, Burton Shopping Association and R E Cooke and Sons.

Massive quantities of ingredients arrived in Burton in early December and a special team of students from Burton Technical College helped to prepare and mix the ingredients in a massive bowl created especially for the record attempt by R E Cooke of Shobnall Street.

The stainless steel bowl, measured 31ins by 28ins, was a rush-order for the engineering firm and was created in just four days.

Managing director Martin Cooke said: "This must be one of the strangest orders we have ever undertaken".

Work on creating the pudding started just before 5pm on Friday, December 6 when the giant pudding bowl arrived at Burton's shopping precinct ready for its ingredients.

The Burton Mail's exclusive recipe for the giant pudding was: "A bucket or two of brandy, a barrowload of breadcrumbs, a barrel of stout, mountains of mixed fruit, orchards of apples and seas of suet and treacle.

Mix this together with a soupcon of salt and spices and a couple of crates of beaten egg before pouring in the world's biggest stainless steel pudding basin and steam gently for 24 hours."

The record attempt was widely supported by the community with the ingredients provided by Havana Fruit, Ind Coope Burton Brewery, Happy Nut House, Vine Products of Walton on Thames, Marks and Spencers, Dewhurst the butchers and Do-It-All of Derby.