Page 2 | Is stodge ever coming back?

Glaspeated · 2026-02-21T23:01:15+00:00

Suet puddings, jam roly poly, dumplings, stodge, stodge, stodge. Britain was built on it. But is stodge going the way of the jellied eel and the lampreys and swan, and being consigned to history? Or will it ever make a come back?

MindYourUsage · 22/02/2026 08:44

HeddaGarbled · 21/02/2026 23:27

It was a cheap way of filling you up. Most people don’t need to do this now.

Don't soeak too soon! If the CoL keeps spiralling we might be living on this again.

Though with suet being £1/100g we might end up with more lentil based stodge.

keepincool · 22/02/2026 08:43

OvernightBloats · 22/02/2026 08:37

A suet crust on a pie is food of the gods. There is a recipe called Teviotdale Pie which has this suet crust - I now put it on other mince recipes. It is so quick and easy to make as well. If you like suet, you will love this.

Recipe at Dairy Diary:

https://www.dairydiary.co.uk/blogs/recipe/teviotdale-pie

Teviotdale Pie

This mouthwatering Teviotdale Pie recipe is taken from the beautiful Around Britain Cookbook. Teviotdale is a valley in the Scottish Borders, and where this tasty pie hails from! This pie is a great recipe for making a little meat go a long way.

https://www.dairydiary.co.uk/blogs/recipe/teviotdale-pie

keepincool · 22/02/2026 08:41

If you like a bit of stodge check out the Dairy Diary recipes - they have some great retro recipes like chocolate cracknell with pink custard 😋

https://www.dairydiary.co.uk/blogs/recipe/school-chocolate-cracknel-with-pink-green-or-chocolate-custard

Recipe blog at https://www.dairydiary.co.uk/blogs/recipe

I've just purchased a few of their cookery books this week, including the Retro Classics one - https://www.dairydiary.co.uk/products/retro-classics-cookbook

A lot of the recipes go back to 1968, when the Milk Marketing Board launched a cookbook to be sold via the milkman, designed to support the doorstep delivery service and to encourage milk sales.

School Chocolate Cracknel with Pink, Green or Chocolate Custard

Also known as chocolate concrete or chocolate crunch, this classic school pudding can be served with the famous (or infamous!) pink, green or chocolate custard. This treat was so named because as this chocolate style shortbread cooled, it became very h...

https://www.dairydiary.co.uk/blogs/recipe/school-chocolate-cracknel-with-pink-green-or-chocolate-custard

OvernightBloats · 22/02/2026 08:37

A suet crust on a pie is food of the gods. There is a recipe called Teviotdale Pie which has this suet crust - I now put it on other mince recipes. It is so quick and easy to make as well. If you like suet, you will love this.

Wynter25 · 22/02/2026 08:32

Love dumplings

DeafLeppard · 22/02/2026 08:31

I was pregnant over winter with one of my children and my second trimester diet was weapons grade stodge with custard at least 4 times a day. I have never been as hungry as during that 2nd trimester!

I also have fond memories of a nameless housekeeper in the postnatal ward who delivered pie and puddings with custard to my bedside after a section. Healing powers of carbs are not to be underestimated!

Myblueclematis · 22/02/2026 08:30

I was brought up on sponge puddings, stews, steak puddings etc. but we walked back and forward to school, took the bus everywhere which often meant walking quite a way to the bus stop and in school we had PE and games two or three times a week. We walked to friends houses as parents didn't have a car to drop us off and walked back home again. Also rode our bikes in good weather, often several miles to the beach.

The more filling meals we had at home were quickly burnt off with all the exercise we had in normal, everyday life.

I still each some of those meals, especially in the winter months.

DeftGoldHedgehog · 22/02/2026 08:24

A lot of traditional fill you up food is perfectly healthy and does actually fill you up. Of course food manufacturers would rather we ate expensive protein bars and shakes instead of proper home made food.

pouletvous · 22/02/2026 08:18

Farmer food

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 22/02/2026 08:16

In the days of no central heating, few cars and people walking a lot more, a lot more stodge aka calories were often needed, and soon worked off.

In this house dumplings are an occasional treat. I’ve never made a suet pudding but have often meant to try a Sussex Pond pudding - apparently it’s sublime!

Peridoteage · 22/02/2026 08:04

I think a moderate portion of home made fresh ingredients jam roly poly is far less bad for you than all the processed "healthy" crap a lot of people eat. My kids eat a lot of this stuff and are very thin and active.

CoastalCalm · 22/02/2026 07:41

We have stodge probably once a week but only over autumn / winter

Playingvideogames · 22/02/2026 07:12

I love anything smothered in custard. Had a delicious crumble and custard at a pub dinner the other day - everyone else thought I was crazy?!

I do think food has evolved to be ‘lighter’ but less nutritious - lots of wraps, rice, halloumi, etc - mostly based around carbs and lacking iron and meat vitamins.

I’m in my mid 30s but never really got to grips with the new stuff, most of our meals are meat and potato based with 2 lots of veg and gravy.

Peridoteage · 22/02/2026 06:48

I still make jam roly poly pudding properly with suet.

Ilovemyshed · 22/02/2026 06:24

Sasha07 · 21/02/2026 23:28

It hasn't left my house! Love abit of stodge over winter.
If anyone worked in school kitchens in the 90s and knows the semolina recipe, I'd be at full stodge happiness. Every recipe I've tried just doesn't hit the same.

Have you tried the packet stuff that you just add water to?

EveryKneeShallBow · 22/02/2026 04:27

If you have someone in the house who works outdoors in a very physical job in all weathers, stodgy is virtually essential.

CookingFatCat · 22/02/2026 04:06

I’m sure there used to be a restaurant in London called School Dinners? It probably excelled in stodge.

lastlonelygrape · 22/02/2026 03:29

I adore stodgy carbs and gravy or cheese sauce. I could happily eat it day after day. Unfortunately, I've had to go lower carb for health reasons. To be honest, I do feel better now than I did before and have lost 1 stone 6 pounds since the beginning of November, but I still miss parts of my old, carb-heavy diet. Sometimes you just want a soul-satisfying meal with lots and lots of carbs and gravy. (And sugary baked goods for dessert.)

MarxistMags · 22/02/2026 02:01

It's never gone away ! Not up here in the frozen North anyway.

Soashamed60 · 22/02/2026 01:53

It never left our house 😋

itsthetea · 22/02/2026 01:52

Did it go away ? Why?
home made probably healthier than a cereal bar or protein shake

Hilllbillbilly · 22/02/2026 01:25

Yes to dumplings and syrup sponge pudding with custard.

Pryceosh1987 · 22/02/2026 01:21

Jam roly poly? isnt that jam roll. Its nice cake.

StillCreatingAName · 22/02/2026 00:39

Sasha07 · 21/02/2026 23:28

It hasn't left my house! Love abit of stodge over winter.
If anyone worked in school kitchens in the 90s and knows the semolina recipe, I'd be at full stodge happiness. Every recipe I've tried just doesn't hit the same.

Oh yes- I know exactly what you mean about the semolina- the ready made canned stuff doesn’t come close!

Saz12 · 22/02/2026 00:35

Homemade stodgey meat pudding, steamed sponges...yummy. Am sure treacle sponge with custard is no more unhealthy than other new-fangled desserts... at least I hope so.
Beef stew with suet dumplings.... steak & kidney pudding.... 😋