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On your marks, get set… BAKE! 13 Great British Bakes and Breaks

With The Great British Bake Off once more upon us, we felt inspired to celebrate our baking heritage by checking out the places where some of Britain’s most famous bakes originated.

Take a look at our baker's dozen of showstopping cakes, biscuits, pies and puds to try on your next Staycation break. Some are well-known and some rather more obscure - but all are best experienced in the area they originate from. It’s not just about the taste of the food, but the people and the setting too - so get out there and try some Great British bakes & breaks for yourself!

Bakewell Pudding - Derbyshire

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Bakewell Pudding, Bakewell, Derbyshire

Bakewell puddings were first made by accident in the kitchen of a Bakewell inn, the White Horse (now the Rutland Arms) in the 1860s by spreading the egg mixture on top of the jam instead of mixing it into the pastry. The resulting cake was such an unexpected success that Mrs Wilson purchased the recipe and set up her own business selling the puddings from her home, now known as the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop.
Great places to stay: Check out holiday cottages near Bakewell.
Great places to try nearby: Both the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop and Bloomer’s in Bakewell produce incredibly tasty Bakewell puddings, so the only fair way to decide which one to sample is by purchasing a pudding from each!
Get the recipe: The Spruce Eats Traditional Bakewell Pudding recipe.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Cumbria

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Sticky Toffee Pudding, Cumbria

Sticky toffee pudding was created in the 1960s by Francis Coulson at the Sharrow Bay Hotel by the majestic Ullswater Lake - a treat for the eyes as well as the tastebuds! This baked sponge made with chopped dates and black treacle is usually served with vanilla custard or ice cream and is considered a classic British dessert.
Great places to stay: See our Cumbria holiday properties.
Great places to try nearby: We recommend the restaurant at the Sharrow Bay Hotel on the banks of Lake Ullswater, or the Cartmel Village Shop.
Get the recipe: Phil Vickery's sticky toffee pudding.

Colchester Pudding - Essex

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Colchester Pudding, Colchester, Essex

The Colchester pudding was created in 1850 to be served at civic functions in Colchester, Essex- usually presided by the Mayor. Jamie Oliver made this famous once again when looking for historic recipes and came across this one - a trifle-like treat of seasonal fruits topped with tapioca, custard and meringue.
Great places to stay: Check out our Essex holiday cottages, just 9 miles from Colchester.
Great places to try nearby: Check out the menu at The Green Room and the Old Siege House Bar & Brasserie, Colchester.
Get the recipe: The Foods of England Project original recipe or Jamie Oliver's revamped Christmas version!

Cornish Split - Cornwall

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Cornish Splits

We all know the great scone debate: should the cream or the jam be spread first? The original king of the cream tea however was the Cornish split. More of a bread-roll style bake, they are made using yeast, slightly sweetened and ‘split’ open to spread with jam (first obviously) and clotted cream. Maybe the real debate should be over whether a split is better than a scone!
Great places to stay: Check out our Cornwall holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: It’s very hard to find a Cornish split outside of Cornwall – great places to buy them include Berryman’s in Redruth or Perranporth; The Cornish Food Box Company in Truro; Trevilley Farm Shop near Newquay; Portreath Bakery.
Get the recipe: The Cream Tea Society traditional Cornish split.

Norfolk Shortcake - Norfolk

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Norfolk Shortcakes, Norfolk

Norfolk shortcakes are found gracing the shelves of many local bakeries. This classic East Anglian bake sits somewhere between a biscuit and a heavy scone, the defining factor being a profusion of dried fruit – with some Norfolk folk saying they’d referred to them as ‘squashed fly cakes’ as children.
Great places to stay: Check out our Norfolk holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: Owl Tea Rooms or Byfords in Holt.
Get the recipe: Foods of England Norfolk Shortcake recipe.

Cornish Pasties – Cornwall

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Cornish Pasties

No trip to Cornwall is complete without trying a proper Cornish pasty. These hearty savoury bakes are believed to have originated as a meal for Cornish tin miners, as the meat and potatoes covered in pastry formed a proper meal they could carry down to the pit. Today they are enjoyed by all.
Great places to stay: Check out our Cornwall holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: Ann’s Pasties, Lizard and Porthleven; Sarah’s Pasty Shop and Martin’s Dairy in Looe; Warrens Bakery, Truro and Newquay; Chough Bakery, Padstow; Horse and Jockey Bakery in Helston and Porthleven.
Get the recipe: Hairy Bikers' Cornish pasty recipe.

Welsh Cakes - Wales

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Welsh Cakes

Popular in Wales since the 19th century, Welsh cakes are made by combining butter, sugar, flour and dried fruit like sultanas. Traditionally cooked on a bakestone – a cast iron griddle placed over a stove or fire – these teatime treats can be served hot or cold and are sprinkled with caster sugar.
Great places to stay: Check out our holiday cottages in Wales.
Great places to try nearby: Fabulous Welshcakes, Cardiff Bay; Cardiff Bakestones, Cardiff Market; Little Valley Bakery, Swansea; Davies of Mumbles; Swansea's indoor market.
Get the recipe: Traditional Welsh cakes.

Devonshire scones - Devon

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Devonshire scones© Bumble and Bee, Exmouth

Arguably Devon is most famous for its Devonshire cream teas - warm scones topped with heavenly clotted cream from Devon’s rich dairy pastures and sweet fruity jam. And you have licence to indulge yourself since you’re on holiday! Just be sure to put the cream on first or you’ll be on the first trawler back to Padstow!
Great places to stay: Check out our Devon holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: Check out these recommended cafés, all within an easy drive of our Devon holiday cottages.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s Devonshire scones.

Fidget Pie - Shropshire

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Fidget Pie, ShropshireFidget Pie by Smabs Sputzer (1956-2017)

When it comes to testing the cuisine of Shropshire, it doesn’t really get more traditional than a fidget pie. First cooked up in Shropshire around 400 years ago, the fillings include, gammon, onions, apples and cider, topped with a pastry and cheese lid. You know the fidget pie must be good, as it has been tried and tested by popular TV chefs the Hairy Bikers.
Great places to stay: Check out our Shropshire holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: The Ludlow Food Centre.
Get the recipe: The Ludlow Food Centre, famous for the fidget pie, actually appeared on Hairy Bikers in 2013, where the pair cooked up their very own version.

Lardy Cake – Wiltshire & Cotswolds

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Lardy Cake, Wiltshire & Cotswolds

Lardy cake is a traditional English tea bread made with rendered lard, flour, sugar, spices, and dried fruit. It originates from Wiltshire and is commonly found today throughout counties that have high pig populations (of which lard is a product). Lardy cake is fine cold…but wonderful hot, straight out of the oven!
Great places to stay: Check out our holiday cottages in The Cotswolds.
Great places to try nearby: Marshalls Bakery, Pewsey; Reeve the baker, Devizes; Huffkins in Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Witney, Cotswolds.
Get the recipe: Paul Hollywood’s lardy cake.

Cumberland Rum Nicky - Cumbria

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Cumberland Rum Nicky© Booths

Paul Hollywood is something of a champion of this classic Lake District bake. Dating back to the 17th century when new and exotic ingredients from the Caribbean landed at Whitehaven Harbour, this rich and sticky tart filled with dried dates is laden with spices and rum and covered with a pastry lattice.
Great places to stay: See our Cumbria holiday properties.
Great places to try nearby: Buy from Booths (nearest is Penrith), or sample in cafes and teashops.
Get the recipe: Paul’s Cumberland Rum Nicky.

Shrewsbury Cake - Shropshire

Great British Bakes & Breaks: Shrewsbury Biscuits (Cake) Shropshire© The Little Café, Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury cakes (or biscuits) were first documented in the 1500s. The most famous maker was a Mr Pailin and there is a plaque referring to his unique recipe in 1760 on an old shop near to Shrewsbury Castle. There are many variations, but generally speaking, it is a large, round shortbread with spices and rose flavouring that gives a distinctive ‘Turkish Delight‘ flavour. They are also among the most popular snacks in India.
Great places to stay: Check out our Shropshire holiday cottages.
Great places to try nearby: The Little Café, Shrewsbury; Darwin’s, Shrewsbury; ‘Baked For You’ bakery also produces them, found in outlets and farmer’s markets all around Shropshire.
Get the recipe: Shrewsbury biscuits.

Apple cake – Somerset, Devon & Dorset

Great English Bakes & Breaks: Apple Cake, Somerset, Devon & Dorset

As apple-growing regions, Somerset, Dorset and Devon all boast a famous local recipe for the Apple cake. This deliciously moist sweet treat is equally good served warm with ice cream or dusted with icing sugar alongside a morning coffee.
Great places to stay: Check out our holiday cottages in Dorset, Somerset and Devon.
Great places to try nearby: Lion Rock Tea Rooms, Cheddar; Blinis Café Bar, Sidmouth.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry’s ‘The very best apple dessert cake’.

Whether it’s a sweet or savoury treat that piques your fancy, there are some fabulous culinary secrets to uncover on your next Great British Bake-cation’.

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