Bilberry Sponge

Bilberry Sponge

Bilberry sponge is the best pudding. All three children are quite sure of this. It is served with custard. R observes the ritual, mashing her bowlful into an even paste before the first mouthful can be taken. S does the same, and M will too, if impatience doesn’t overwhelm him.

Bilberry sponge is the fruit of the most intense labour, because bilberries are very small and grow wild on the moors. Granny and Grandad spend many hours picking them.

R has tried picking bilberries herself. She is amazed that anyone could gather enough for a whole bilberry sponge and then be prepared to share it all round the table, with all those ungracious mouths. The labour and generosity contained in a bilberry sponge lends the event of eating one a special importance; an exultant act of hedonism to celebrate the preceding display of stamina and self-sacrifice.

Years later, R will abandon puddings entirely. S will continue to draw out the pudding ritual, nibbling meticulously around chocolate bars so that each layer might be dealt with in the proper way and found to be individually exquisite. M is a boy and will always dive into almost any pudding, taking big delicious mouthfuls, big blank pleasure - untainted by the neuroses of his sisters.