Evening star., 1938-09-25
'PUDDEN' SEASON
NEAR IN LONDON
Ye 0Ide Cheshire Cheese
Tavern Famed THROUGH
World for Lark Pie.'

LONDON. Sept. 24.-"Any gentle.
man say 'pudden'7" So, wistfully oues-
doning, the waiter goes from table
to table IN Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese,
Londons oldest and favortts tavern
No guest would dare to say ''pudden''
before the first Monday Of October
TOR that is the opening day Of what
has been called the pudding season"
since ITS.
Ye Olde Cheshire tavern ID olde.
than ITS. The present building
was erected in 1867. but there was
IN earlier tavern on the same site
which was ancient when Shakespeare
Ben Jonson and other Elisabethan
wits sat In It, About half way up
Fleet street, on the right il you are
coming from the direction OF Ludgate
Circus, is the old sign Of the Cheshire
Cheese and it is usually entered from
Wine Once Court.
Few Americans visit London today
without at least one meal at Ye Olde
Cheshire Cheese. Old London is fast
disappearing but nothing has threat
ened the site Of this famous old tavern
The grandfather clock which has been
there nearly 200 years has been built
into the structure Of the staircase, but
1T still ticks on and seems strong
enough to tell the time when the
pudding season will begin for the
next generation as well as for the
present.
It's . News Event.
The pudden" Is the most famous
pudding in the world and the largest
Every October for centuries when the
days begin to get chilly the fact OF
its coming is announced in the news
papers. Turn to q list Of the events
in England which are supposed to
interest everybody, and you will always
find the opening Of the pudding sea-
son at the Cheshire Cheese" cheek
by jowl with the Derby. Lord Mayors
Show Day or the birthday anniversary
Of the King.
How do you make it?" is a ques-
ton that Americans have often asked
but the question has never been ans
wered. 1t has been a secret ever since
the proprietor concocted it at the time
OF the American Revolution. Ask
what is in 1t and you have some salts
faction for you can identify steaks
kidneys. mushrooms, oysters and larks
Indeed, for many years 1t was called
the lark pie" Its crust Is soft and
flaky and its gravy has the reputation
OF a rare vintage. but how it Is ali
put together, nobody else knows.
Every October the proprietor goes
into secret room to start the process
and even the tavern employees and
cooks are forbidden entrance till the
pudding is ready for the kitchen. I,
weighs from so to 80 pounds today
Years ago 1t was always more thar
100 pounds in weight. It is boiled from
16 to 20 hours. The most solemn mo.
ment, however, In its gastronomic his.
tory is when 1t Is borne aloft by 81,
sturdy walters. preceded by mine hos,
dressed faultlessly for the occasion
while the orchestra accompanies thu
solemn march. It is the only pudding
IN the world which is regularly dis.
tinguished in newspapers, novels anc
history books as The Pudding. USUALLY
1t gives one or more servings to &C
diners.
Lures Distinguished Diners.
On the opening day the diners com.
monty make up distinguished COM
pany. and the chief guest, who is apt
to be any one Of the rank of Eng.
lands prime minister. is allowed to 81,
In DR.. Samuel Johnson's chair. which
at other times is kept under a huge
glass case. Throughout the winter
hundreds of smaller lark puddings are
sent all over England, and occasionally
even find their way to Canada and the
United States.
Unlike some Of the other famous
eating houses of Europe, a meal at Ye
Olde Cheshire Cheese is not neces-
sarlly an expensive luxury, as prices
are about the same as in other res
taurants in the Fleet street district
If one wants real old London atmos-
phere at a meal, as well as larl
pie; If one likes to sit on the bench
where Voltaire or Dickens sat lone
ago; If one likes sawdust on the flool
and paneled walls loaded with master
pieces in oils and playbills going back
to the days of David Garrick. then Ye
Olde Cheshire Cheese at the opening
Of the pudding season in October is
the place to dine above all others