Buckingham Palace has announced a new pudding contest to honour Queen Elizabeth.
The competition will be a part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations – marking the 95-year- old monarch’s 70 years on the throne this year – and invites Brits over the age of eight to “create the perfect platinum pudding recipe”.
Buckingham Palace – in association with upmarket London department store Fortnum & Mason – will invite five shortlisted finalists to have their hard work judged by a panel comprised of Dame Mary Berry, Monica Galetti and Mark Flanagan, the Head Chef at Buckingham Palace, for the grand prize of their offering being sold to the public and featuring at meals during the Jubilee weekend.
The Platinum Jubilee is set to kick off in February with events taking place all over the UK until the celebration’s conclusion on the weekend of June 2 to 5.
Highlights of the royal itinerary range from Trooping of the colour, the lighting of the Platinum Jubilee beacons and a service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Derby at Epsom Downs and a live concert ‘Platinum Party at the Palace,’ which will boast a star-studded – as yet unrevealed – line up, along with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant and the the Big Jubilee lunch, which will feature the winning pudding.
Last week, the Royal Mint revealed a new 50p coin to mark the Queen’s reign – which displays Her Majesty horse riding, one of the monarch’s favourite past times since early childhood – and celebrate seven decades of service.
Chris Barker, a historian at the Royal Mint Museum said: “The Queen’s legacy on coins stretches the length of her momentous reign. Today’s launch marks another significant milestone, and the Royal Mint plays a proud part in the nationwide celebrations.”
Claire Maclennan, the division director at the Royal Mint said: “Designed by esteemed artists and made with original craftsmanship, Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee coins are enduring pieces of art that will be collected, cherished and passed down for generations.”