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A mysterious forgotten recipe has been discovered in the archives of Port Sunlight, according to Streamline.
The Port Sunlight Bun, which was first created in 1929, is now being served again in the village after the original recipe was uncovered during an archival discovery by a university student.
So, here is the back story. The delicacy was created as part of a competition run by Port Sunlight News, a magazine distributed to the workers at the Lever Brothers soap factory. The publication was eagerly searching for local alternatives to the popular Eccles cake and Bakewell Tart.
The winning recipe was submitted by a factory worker known as Miss Lee, who worked in the company's addressograph department. Despite winning the competition, the recipe gradually faded from memory and remained hidden in the archives for decades.
The miraculous discovery was made by University of Manchester postgraduate student Evelyn Ashmore while carrying out research with the Port Sunlight Village Trust. Further investigation revealed the full recipe.
Following the discovery, the trust partnered with Nettle Cafe in Port Sunlight to recreate the bun using the original ingredients and method as closely as possible.
Claire Bates from the Port Sunlight Village Trust said: "We really felt like, why hadn't the Sunlight Bun had that press in the first instance, and what could we do to change that? We needed to share it".
In case you're wondering, here is the recipe:
1 lb. plain flour
¼ lb. margarine and lard mixed
¼ lb. sugar, currants, and sultanas
1 teaspoonful each of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar
2 eggs and a splash of milk
The revival forms part of wider efforts to celebrate Port Sunlight's unique past and preserve stories connected to the community founded by William Hesketh Lever for workers at his soap factory.
Visitors can now sample the revived bun for themselves, offering a taste of the village's history and a direct link to the lives of the workers who helped shape one of Merseyside's most famous communities nearly a century ago.
