At Burtree Puddings HQ, we’ve got three different types of Christmas Pudding on offer (Traditional, Deluxe and Gluten-free) and each one contains different alcoholic blends with ingredient variations. You can see why we start the preparations early in May!

As she does every year, Lea digs out her recipes. The Traditional Pudding is based on a family one and the remaining two were created from hours of leafing through books and invention testing to find the winning combinations of fruit and alcohol.

Although Lea knows the recipes inside out, it’s actually husband Robert who makes the Christmas Puddings – all to Lea’s precise method, we’re assured. This means Lea, along with help from her right-hand woman, Sandra, can concentrate on keeping the Sticky Puddings side of the business topped up.

The Darlings have been producing Christmas Puddings for close to 15 years now, and they know a thing or two about making the perfect pudding.

“All our puddings contain a mixture of plump and flavoursome dried fruit including raisins, sultanas, currants and double cut mixed peel.  After that, each one varies in texture. For example, the flaked almonds we add to the Traditional Pudding gives something more to bite into.

“Then you have the Deluxe Pudding which is made with more currants, no cherries, and some people say it tastes distinctly more alcoholic. The combination of brandy, cider and fresh orange in the Gluten-free Pudding lends itself to a fruitier, moist pudding.

“All the puddings are made with vegetarian suet, and are flavoured with any combination of delicious wintery spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, and even fragrant orange and lemon zest.”

These Christmas Puddings are made over two days as the mix is prepared the day before, then steeped in alcohol overnight. The following day they are steamed for eight to ten hours (this long and slow cook gives it wonderful character), as though you were making one yourself in the kitchen. They spend the rest of their time maturing in storage at a controlled temperature so the flavours can mingle in readiness for Christmas day.

When all that character and flavour has developed, the puddings are hand-wrapped in muslin and neatly tied with ribbon, ready to be delivered.

“There’s a great deal of attention that goes into every single pudding,” explains Lea. “We’re so lucky that we’re surrounded by our staff and our children – there are only so many puddings that two people can make! But that’s what Christmas is about, isn’t it? Coming together to make a special day.”

See our range of luxurious Christmas puddings online, or visit one of our lovely stockists.