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Whatever it is, Ivan and his wife Dickie, are likely to want custard on it...

Ivan Whitfield and his wife, Dickie, are members of the invitingly named Pudding Club. Sounding like something from a G.K. Chesterton novel, this select band of puddingites have their HQ in Quedgeley near Gloucester.

It seems that every three months for the last 9 years the 16 members of the club have been meeting up. After what Ivan describes as a light meal - jacket potatoes with beans and cheese, home made bread - they tuck into the puddings. Each couple brings one, and you have a slice of all of them.

Celebrants gather around to taste plum roly-poly and custard, blackberry and pear crumble and custard, steamed fig pudding and custard, apple pie and custard, suet raisin pudding and custard and pears in red wine with cream.

Over the years and bucketloads of custard, friendships have been cemented. Jennifer Chevalier went to meet the wild-eyed puddingistas.


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