PUDDINGS of the past were put under the spotlight when a Wisbech cookery teacher brought historical recipes to life as part of an arts festival in the town.

Cambs Times: Activities at the Ovtavia Hill Museum. Left: Lorna Vibert, 3D cards. Clair Bartram, Jewellery making. Lorena Hodgson, Felting. Karen Jinks, Bookbinding and Joan Watson, student.Activities at the Ovtavia Hill Museum. Left: Lorna Vibert, 3D cards. Clair Bartram, Jewellery making. Lorena Hodgson, Felting. Karen Jinks, Bookbinding and Joan Watson, student. (Image: Archant)

Food historian Alison Sloan, who has appeared on TV shows and worked with Gordon Ramsey in the BBC Good Food Show, baked sweet treats for visitors to Octavia Hill Museum during the Wisbech Arts Festival.

Joining her as part of the art activities were a host of craft specialists including, watercolour artists, printmakers, soap sculpture, jewellery makers and needlework displays.

In the kitchens of the museum visitors enjoyed a tour of the English pudding from its early origins as a pottage in Tudor times, through to the advent of the pudding cloth and onto puddings of the Victorian era, such as Charlotte Russe and Norfolk Treacle Tart.

Among the feast of puddings on offer were floating islands, chewettes, peasecods and whitepot during a talk by Mrs Sloan, head of food and nutrition at Wisbech Grammar School.

Mrs Sloan, who runs courses for a variety of clients including the National Trust and the Museum service, has appeared on a variety of television programmes working for Sky, Channel 4 and Anglia Television.

She has also worked for BBC radio.