London's Best Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is the dessert traditionally served on Christmas day. It has its origins in England, and is sometimes known as plum pudding, though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving a lot of dried fruit.-Wikipedia

What makes for a great Christmas Pudding? That's a matter of taste, of course. Christmas Puddings have made notable appearances in a couple of my favorite shows. Bob Cratchit is scandalized at how much a Christmas Pudding cost in Scrooge and The Vicar of Dibley has to eat way too much Christmas Pudding as she eats her way across Dibley.

London Christmas puddings

Harrods Christmas Limited Edition Pudding (£49.95)

Harrods only made 300 limited edition Christmas puddings, so they could put extra special attention into making them perfect. Filled with Harrod's own oak-cask brandy, each pudding contains 6 silver coins and comes in an individually numbered ceramic bowl. Presented in a velvet gift box.

LA FROMAGERIE Christmas Puddings £17.00 6 - 8 servings
Made exclusively for LA FROMAGERIE to a traditional recipe, it is brimming with dried fruits including Agen Prunes, Lexia Raisins, Stout, Brandy and lots of spice. Pour over brandy, ignite and enjoy with lots of fresh cream or brandy butter. N.B May contain traces of nuts.

Selfridges Ultimate Christmas Hamper (£69.99)

Embrace the festive season with vigour this year with the mini Christmas collection in this Christmas Hamper. As a bonus, each Selfridges hamper features a festive yellow cracker, which gives you a chance to win an Anya Hindmarch handbag! Includes Selfridges Christmas pudding 450g.

Waitrose Christmas Puddings (£12.99)

Waitrose Richly Fruited Christmas Pudding is topped with glistening pecans, brandy-soaked cherries and strips of orange peel, you do not need a jolly sprig of holly to make this pudding look good. The website lists 25 different Christmas Puddings, while supplies last.

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Heritage Christmas Pudding (£9.99, 454g)

Made with vine fruits, cherries, ale and sherry, with a festive touch of spice. Comes in a bowl with muslin and a threepenny bit. The traditional recipe comes with a traditional tale – the 13 ingredients represent Jesus and his 12 disciples. On the same page is a cranberry jelly and a sherry trifle. Makes me think of London.

Tesco Finest Vintage Christmas Pudding (£11.99)

A few years ago there was a taste test in which Tesco's Christmas Pudding beat out 13 other puddings from more upscale shops. The people have spoken, this is London's Best Christmas Pudding. This is a lovely moist pudding, soaked in sherry and cognac.

Marks & Spencer Christmas Pudding (£7.99, 907g)

One of the rare puddings made with beef suet (most shop-bought versions are vegetarian), this is one for those who like their pudding glossy, sticky and dense. The traditional dark appearance has an edge of bitterness from stout and treacle. High on booze, it still has other interesting tastes coming through.