Tag: The Hole in the Wall

Sticky Toffee Pudding

What is one dessert that you can associate with England? What dessert is found at many restaurants and pubs in England year round? One could say the answer to both of these questions is Sticky Toffee Pudding.

This is the Sticky Toffee Pudding they serve at the Cock and Bull, a British pub on 45th Street in New York City. This dessert includes chunks of hard almond toffee brittle on the side and a light cream on top. Although I love all the ones I tried in this post and my friends loved all the ones they tried, this is my personal favorite.
History

Although this dessert is associated with England it actually had its roots in Canada. The story behind it is during World War II two Canadian Air Force officers passed a recipe for sticky toffee pudding to a hotelier in Lancashire. The recipe was tweaked and the rest is history. It caught on in England and became popular. Many restaurants and pubs carry it.

This is from the Hole in the Wall pub in York, England.

It is a very rich, delicious dessert. Many people list this as their favorite. A few of my friends said they wanted to tour England and try the sticky toffee pudding at various pubs and restaurants along the way. They would call their tour the Sticky Toffee Pudding Tour.

This is from The Shakespeare, a high end pub on 39th Street in Manhattan, NYC. It came with ice cream.
Ingredients

What is it made of? It usually consists of date sponge cake drizzled in toffee sauce. Some people enjoy it with cream, while others enjoy it with ice cream. Some restaurants and pubs give you the option of accompanying it with cream, ice cream or whipped cream. It is rich and delicious.

Sticky Toffee Pudding at the Lillie Langtry in London

There are other options if you plan to make this at home. There are recipes for gluten-free versions online through different culinary websites. There are also websites carrying vegan recipes for this dessert.

This is the Sticky Toffee Pudding at the White Horse in Oxford, England. This was a personal favorite of a friend who joined me on my trip to Great Britain.

This is so popular that British pubs in the United States often have it as a regular item on their menus. The Shakespeare and the Cock and the Bull in Manhattan include it on their menu. Look up a recipe online or stop in to a British pub or restaurant. You will be happy you did.

Haunted Pubs-The Hole in the Wall

There are many places that are said to be haunted in York, England. A few places that lay claim to this are pubs. One such pub is The Hole in the Wall.

Ghost Story

The story up on the wall of the pub is this pub was formerly named the Board Inn. A builder was said to have found a tunnel beneath the pub. Ghostly footsteps were heard echoing in the dark, so they quickly bricked it up. They say in 1816 excavation was done and a hole discovered that led to an eery dungeon where chains and manacles were hanging. We asked the bartenders about the story and they said both were working one night and they heard a voice talking, but no one was there.

The name of this beer goes well with the pub’s haunting story.
Location

The Hole in the Wall is on High Petergate in York not far from York Minster. It is in the older walled in section of town. You can get to York via train. If hiking is not a problem you can walk from the train station to the old walled in section.

Unique decor in one of their rooms.
Cute gargoyle, which fits in well with the area. This pub is in close proximity to York Minster.
Their sticky toffee pudding was pretty good. My friend can vouch for it.

There are several pubs and places in York with stories of ghost sightings or haunting tales. They even have tours covering some of these establishments. If you are into this sort of thing, check out The Hole in the Wall.

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