The UK’s first-ever cafe dedicated entirely to the Christmas pudding is set to open its doors ln London later this month and it's all free.
Sainsbury’s is launching the Pud You Dare Café in a bid to get the classic ‘pud’ back on dining tables this festive season. It comes as research reveals that one in five Brits – and almost a third of Gen Z (31%) – believe the traditional Christmas Pudding is on track for extinction, with the average prediction being that it will disappear within three years.
Open in Holborn on 24 and 25 November, the first-of-its-kind cafe will give pud lovers, sceptics and haters the chance to enjoy several Christmas pudding options that are available at Sainsbury’s.
All generations are invited to embrace the taste of Christmas and open their hearts (and their palates) to the festive icon for free.
Customers can tuck into the classic Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding, alongside the brand-new Taste the Difference Caramelised Biscuit Pudding – as seen in the Sainsbury’s 2022 Christmas advert – with a range of delicious toppings to choose from.
The festive desserts will be complemented by a choice of seasonal tipples, including Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Spiced Ginger Biscuit Irish Cream Liqueur, Taste the Difference Chocolate Mulled Wine and Taste the Difference Cranberry and Orange Presse.
Featuring a fruity sponge to please a range of tastes, the supermarket’s new twist on the traditional Christmas pudding is packed with flavours to appeal to the modern generation. With salted caramel being one of the nation’s favourite dessert flavours (coming second only to chocolate) the new pud on the block will set tastebuds racing.
Vine fruits laced with a hint of brandy for a boozy hit are combined with a generous drizzle of spiced caramel sauce and caramelised biscuit crumbs to create a delicious fusion of traditional and modern tastes.
Claire Hughes, Director of Product & Innovation at Sainsbury’s, commented, “The once loved Christmas pudding is at risk of being wiped out across the nation, and we’re making it our mission to ensure it firmly has its place at the dinner table this Christmas Day. That’s why we’re encouraging all generations to try the Christmas classic and save it from extinction.
'For both long-standing and younger pud sceptics, we’ve also launched a new caramelised biscuit pud this year, giving it a modern twist with salted caramel and biscuit crumbs. We’re sure it will be a hit with everyone at the table – even the pud purists!'
Any surplus food will be provided to Sainsbury’s long-term redistribution partner, FareShare, through their London delivery partner The Felix Project. Sainsbury’s and FareShare continue to work together as part of their shared mission to support communities with access to food.