Queen's jubilee platinum pudding: lemon trifle crowned the winner

Sweet treat was inspired by the dessert served at the queen's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947

Jemma Melvin with her lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle. PA

The search for a pudding worthy of Queen Elizabeth II that was also simple enough to be recreated by millions of Britons has a sweet ending.

Inspired by the dessert served at the queen's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947, Jemma Melvin was unveiled as the winner on a special BBC programme with her lemon Swiss roll topped with an amaretti trifle.

It is expected to be recreated at hundreds of street parties next month celebrating the queen's 70th anniversary on the throne.

Nearly 5,000 amateur bakers entered the competition to design a pudding for the queen's platinum jubilee.

Melvin, 31, a copywriter from Southport near Liverpool in northwest England, was overjoyed after a panel of celebrity chefs unanimously picked her out of the five finalists.

"I'm going to be making my recipe for my gran at her street party," said Melvin, who learned the rudiments of baking as a child from her grandmother.

"I found out that the queen had lemon posset at her wedding, so I decided the pudding had to be based around the lemon flavour.

"The thought of people recreating my pudding, especially round the jubilee, is just a total pleasure."

Speaking about the inspiration behind her winning trifle, Ms Melvin explained: “This particular trifle is a tribute to three women: it’s my Gran, my Nan and the Queen herself.”

She added: “My Grandma taught me to bake, she taught me all the elements, everything from scratch.

“My Nan’s signature dish was always a trifle; we used to call her the queen of trifles.

“And the Queen had lemon posset at her wedding.”

The Finalists with their puddings. Photo: BBC

The pudding consists of lemon curd Swiss roll on the bottom, topped by St Clement's jelly, lemon custard, mandarin coulis, whipped cream, candied peel, chocolate shards and crushed amaretti biscuits.

It enters into British culinary lore, joining such immortals as Victoria Sponge and Coronation Chicken, invented for when Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1952, which are still popular today.

Angela Wood, who helped create Coronation Chicken as a young cookery student, said she was surprised her dish of poached chicken in a creamy sauce had stood the test of time.

"I hope whoever wins the pudding (competition), the same thing happens," she told AFP.

Judge Roger Pizey, executive pastry chef at luxury department store Fortnum and Mason, said: "I really think we'll be making Jemma's trifle for at least the next 50 to 100 years, without a doubt."

The pudding consists of lemon curd Swiss roll on the bottom, topped by St Clement's jelly, lemon custard, mandarin coulis, whipped cream, candied peel, chocolate shards and crushed amaretti biscuits. PA

The main jubilee celebrations will be held over a four-day long weekend, kicking off with public holidays on Thursday June 2 and Friday June 3.

The dish was crowned on BBC One’s The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years In The Baking after the judges, including Dame Mary Berry and Monica Galetti, came to a unanimous decision.

She saw off competition from four other bakers, whose creations included a passionfruit and thyme frangipane tart, a Jubilee Bundt cake, featuring home-made Dubonnet jam, a rose falooda cake and a “four nations” pudding featuring ingredients from around the country.

The Duchess of Cornwall joined Dame Mary to praise Ms Melvin, wishing her “many congratulations”.

“She was a warm and wonderful woman,” said Ms Melvin.

The winning recipe will be available online via BBC Good Food, Fortnum & Mason and The Big Jubilee Lunch.