Practice is set to make puddings perfect in the Peaks as schoolchildren from Grindleford Primary school descend on local hotel and restaurant, The Maynard, on Tuesday 15 November for what has become a much anticipated annual Christmas pudding making and tasting treat. 

Around 30 junior pupils will arrive at The Maynard Tuesday morning to prepare their Christmas puddings under the watchful eye of The Maynard's head chef Ben Hickinson. At lunchtime, the juniors will be joined by around 20 infants, aged up to 6 years old, who will then have their chance to make Christmas puddings in the afternoon.

The event is now in its third year and the Christmas puddings the children make go on sale in the local community, raising much-needed funds for the school. Coming from the home of the original Bakewell Pudding, the pressure is on to ensure this year's puddings are perfection on the palate!

The Maynard is hosting the event and providing all the ingredients free of charge. The day will culminate in a fine lunch for the children in the hotel's ballroom. 

Ben Hickinson will also set the children a challenge - to identify ingredients by taste, smell, colour and texture, teaching them in the process where the ingredients come from and why the best, freshest ingredients are needed to make the perfect Christmas pud.    

"We're all guilty of not knowing enough about where our food comes from, so we're trying to educate the children about the food chain and how to make fantastic food - by letting them get their hands dirty and learn by experience," explained Ben. "Too much food is processed nowadays and we advocate only the freshest possible ingredients at The Maynard. We source locally wherever possible and we think it's important that the children know that all food is not the same."

For further information on The Maynard, telephone 01433 630321 or e-mail restaurant@themaynard.co.uk