Jo Evans, founder of Figgy's Christmas Puddings is available for interview to talk about Stir Up Sunday 

Sunday 25th November is known as 'Stir Up Sunday', the traditional day for making your Christmas pudding.  

The expression comes from the Anglican Church's Opening Prayer for the last Sunday before Advent, which begins: 'Stir up, we beseech thee O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people'.  These words served as a reminder to cooks of days gone by that it was time to start weighing, chopping and mixing the fruit so that the rich fruit confections of the season had time to mature in time for Christmas.  As well as Christmas Pudding, it was also the perfect time to make Christmas cake and mincemeat.

If you are a perfectionist, you will enjoy the ritual of making a Christmas pudding, and the fragrant steamy atmosphere that fills the kitchen as it bubbles on the hob for hours.  There is, however, another way that you and your loved ones can enjoy a sumptuous home-made pud, mixed from the finest ingredients and made exactly as you would at home: Figgy's Christmas Puddings.

Figgy's was started ten years ago by Jo and Richie Evans.  Unlike many small businesses, they have not been tempted to diversify: they do one thing and they do it superbly.  Everything about their puddings is superior to the ones you see in supermarkets and on the high street.  They are made from the finest ingredients, including vine-ripened Californian raisins, British Bramley apples and breadcrumbs from the local bakery.  Their juiciness comes from blending Hanlons Port Stout (made in Newton St Cyres, just outside Exeter) with 10 year old Somerset Cider Brandy.  They are mixed in small batches, to keep the texture light and prevent the fruit being crushed.  They are presented in the old-fashioned way, in ceramic pudding basins.  When it comes to Figgy's nothing but the best will do.

“There are hundreds of recipes out there for Christmas pudding.  Every family's recipe is different and will have changed over the years as it was handed down,” comments Jo.  “The wartime years of shortage meant many housewives had to improvise with what was available, so you find family recipes with carrot, potato and even parsnip sometimes!  Some housewives liked to boil their Christmas Pudding until it was black, whilst other recipes make a lighter, spongier pudding.  Our own recipe has been honed and perfected over many years giving a rich fruity flavour, with a light and juicy texture.”  Also worth noting: the puddings are vegetarian-friendly, being made with vegetarian suet.

Jo's advice to anyone making their own pud: “This is something that can't be rushed.  Turn off your mobile, put on the radio and relax into it.  Involve any children or grandchildren who will love stirring the mixture and making a wish.  Make the puddings one day and steam them the next, otherwise you'll run out of time and still be steaming at midnight!”

In olden days the stirring was a communal activity, with all the family invited to take the wooden spoon and make a wish (which obviously had to remain a secret).  Traditionalists stir from east to west in the direction of the sun, or in honour of the Three Wise Men.  Recipes from yesteryear limit the ingredients to thirteen, to represent Jesus and his disciples, though not Figgy's recipe which boasts twenty-two!  Many cooks still like to include trinkets like the traditional coin which brings good fortune.

If you want to serve a genuine home-made Christmas pudding but don't have time to make your own, you can't do better than Figgy's which has just achieved a faultless score of 100% and awarded 'Platinum' at this year's Food Drink Devon Awards.  Priced from £11.95 to £22.95, with postage at an extremely reasonable £1.95, it is not surprising their puds become more popular every year, and find their way all over the UK and Europe.  During the run-up to Christmas, Jo goes on the road, offering tastings and offering advice on every aspect of making and serving puddings.

For further information about Figgy's Christmas Puddings, please visit www.figgys.co.uk, follow on Twitter @figgyspuddings and 'Like' on Facebook, Figgy's Puddings.

ENDS 

Say hello to Figgy's at the following: 

• 3rd and 4th November, Figgy's will be at the Christmas Craft and Gourmet Food Fair at Kingston Maurwood College in Dorchester, one of the largest craft fairs in Dorset
• On the evening of Tuesday 6th and all day on Wednesday 7th November, Figgy's will be at the Exeter Cathedral Winter Fair, held in the nave of the cathedral (free entry)
• Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th November, Figgy's will be at Living Crafts for Christmas in the breathtaking setting of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Come early to avoid the crowds
• From Thursday 15th November - and right through to Sunday 16th December - Figgy's will be back for its second year at Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market
• Saturday 1st December, the team will be at Candlelit Dartmouth, enjoying the twinkling atmosphere, live music all day and the arrival - by boat - of Father Christmas
• Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th December, Figgy's will be at the Padstow Christmas Festival, which is a magnet for celebrity chefs and food lovers

Notes to Editor:

• Jo Evans set up Figgy's in 2007 whilst on maternity leave with her first child. She started with just 100 Christmas puddings, using a local community kitchen to make them.  The puddings proved so popular that Jo was able to give up her job as a Marketing Manager in 2011 to focus on the business, with Richie, a civil engineer, joining her a year later.
• With Figgy's the Evanses have found the perfect work/life balance and have even found the time to home educate their two children around the demands of running a small business. They have intentionally limited the growth of Figgy's, choosing quality over quantity and focussing on enjoying time as a family. 
• Figgy's small pudding (350g, serving 2-3) costs £11.95, medium (550g, serving 4-6) £16.95, large (950g, serving 8-10) £22.95. Delivery is very reasonable at £1.95 per pudding.
• Figgy's has been making Christmas puddings for ten years, and has been featured widely in the media, from the Sunday Telegraph to the German magazine Stern.
• The puddings are steamed in Mason Cash ceramic bowls, wrapped in cotton pudding cloth and matured for several months in their basins to allow rich, complex flavours to develop.
• Figgy's has won multiple awards, including Gold Award in the 2018 Taste of the West Awards and two golds in the 2017 Great Taste Awards.
• Although Figgy's works tirelessly to produce enough Christmas puddings to see their customers through the season, the supply is not infinite and it is always advisable to order your pudding early.
• Gift cards can be included at no extra cost.

For further information, photography or samples, please contact:

Hayley Reynolds at RAW Food & Drink PR

Email: hayley@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk

Mobile: 07887 474 104

Twitter: @HayleyJReynolds