National Bakewell Tart Day – August 11, 2024

History of National Bakewell Tart Day

The history of Bakewell tart goes way back to the 19th century when a woman named Mrs. Greaves, the landlady of the White Horse Inn, created the Bakewell pudding. She instructed her cooks to create a jam tart, but instead of incorporating the almond paste and jam into the pastry, the cook mistakenly spread the mixture on top of the tart. This created an egg custard that resembled a pudding. Luckily, this treat proved to be popular as visitors enjoyed every bite.

The specific date of the pudding’s discovery has been widely disputed. Some sources say it’s 1820, while others argue it’s 1860. However, the official date of its inclusion in Eliza Acton’s cookbook “Modern Cookery for Private Families” is 1845. It was formally called the ‘Bakewell pudding’ after its discovery in the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England.

Later on, in 1900, the Bakewell pudding evolved into a Bakewell tart. It’s a replica of the same recipe, except the egg custard was replaced with frangipane. This became a signature taste of the tart — a delicious mix of ground almonds, eggs, sugar, and butter. As the years went by, the chopped almonds were replaced by glace sugar paste. As soon as bakers started topping the tart with a candied half-cherry, it then became known as the ‘Cherry Bakewell.’ Another change applied was in terms of its size. Cherry Bakewell is designed to be smaller, individual bites, whereas the traditional Bakewell tart was 8 to 9 inches in diameter.

Today, the Bakewell tart is still extremely popular in the U.K. On August 11, 2020, the first National Bakewell Tart Day took place, celebrating the rich history and fascinating evolution of this English dessert.