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Food content creator Annie Mae Herring recently discovered carrageenan pudding, a milk-based dessert made with carrageen moss, a type of seaweed that lends it a gelatinous texture. The 33-year-old from Essex describes her first attempt as “awful,” comparing it humorously to “a soggy welly, with, like, Fairy Liquid and a bit of salt.” Despite her reservations, she is exploring a range of endangered and nearly forgotten recipes from the UK and Ireland through a social media series, sharing these culinary relics with her audience.
Among the dishes she has revived are the Staffordshire clanger, a peculiar half-sweet, half-savoury pasty, and Brown Windsor soup, linked historically to Victorian royals. She also makes chocolate concrete, a nostalgic school-dinner treat that she serves alongside a bright green custard, reminiscent of her own childhood meals. Herring has been producing food content for ten years, but this recent nostalgic project has especially resonated with viewers. Many of her followers recall enjoying these dishes in their youth, sparking emotional responses and fond memories.
Herring is not alone in her culinary time-travel. Shannon McCarthy, who styles herself as a “goth baker” from Barnsley, has been rediscovering regional British recipes, ranging from panackelty, a corned beef stew with potatoes and onions, to Staffordshire oatcakes and Lancashire hotpot. These dishes evoke strong feelings among her followers, with McCarthy noting, “People love them so much, they can’t believe that other people haven’t heard of them.” Both food historians and chefs acknowledge that many such hyper-regional dishes are at risk of vanishing from everyday cooking, even if some survive on upscale restaurant menus.
Dr. Neil Buttery, a chef and food historian, emphasizes that while some recipes—like jugged hare or the oat-based flummery—are quite obscure, others such as spotted dick are more familiar but rarely cooked anymore. The primary measure of whether a dish is endangered is if people still prepare it at home. Herring expresses concern about the disappearance of these recipes, asserting, “It’s important we know that these recipes exist before they entirely disappear. They provide a snapshot of a different time.” Nonetheless, some culinary professionals feel select recipes do not merit revival, with chef Anna Tobias pointing out, “Ultimately, the recipe has to be good – there are some really awful ones.” She highlights that classic dishes endure because of their quality and the affection with which they have been embraced over time
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