Often a first-choice dessert at The Bustard Inn, this tasty tart rarely leaves our menu so we thought we would have a look at its origins.

As a variant of the Bakewell Pudding, this delightful tart consists of a shortcrust pastry shell beneath layers of jam, frangipane, with a topping of flaked almonds. Although closely associated with the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, there is no evidence that it originated there unlike the Bakewell Pudding. The common story here is that it was first made by accident in 1800s by Mrs Greaves, who was the landlady of the White Horse Inn. She supposedly left instructions for her cook to make a jam tart. The cook, instead of stirring the eggs and almond paste mixture into the pastry, spread it on top of the jam. When cooked, the egg and almond paste set like an egg custard, and the result was successful enough for it to become a popular dish at the inn.

Another alternative to the Bakewell Pudding is the Gloucester Tart. In Gloucester, a similar tart was made using ground rice, raspberry jam and almond essence. In 2013, council leader Paul James discovered a recipe for ‘Gloucester Tart’ in a Gloucester history book. Subsequently, Gloucester museums revived the recipe, serving complimentary Gloucester Tarts to museum patrons.

We have yet to try that particular one but rest assured the much-loved Bakewell Tart, pictured here with homemade blackberry ripple ice cream, will remain a firm favourite of ours for a long time to come!