The subject of our March Meet the Producer is 'Pudology' and the woman behind that concept, Lucy Wager. Visit our stores this month for a chance to sample Lucy's delightful range of dairy-free desserts and follow our Facebook page for an indepth look at the products, and for a chance to win some of these delicious sweet treats for yourself.
Why did you decide to start Pudology?
Food was my first love, and when everyone else at my school was choosing very sensible, academic university degrees I was planning my Food career. My goal was to be a food developer and it didn’t take very long after before I was living my dream, and was lucky enough to travel to lots of amazing and exotic places. My specialty was Asian food (hence my infatuation with Coconut Milk!) the upside to this was eating a wide array of foods, the downside was eventually my digestive system had had enough, and following an extreme case of food poisoning, I was left unable to tolerate lots of foods including dairy and eggs.
It was a hard and sad time for me because my life suddenly changed; I couldn’t do my job properly, I couldn’t do my social life properly and I could now list on just one hand the things I could eat; a very sorry state of affairs! I decided I needed to take control of the situation and not let it lead me down a path of sadness and regret; I decided to change my life even more drastically by leaving my amazing job, saying goodbye to London and moving to the sticks (a.k.a Cheshire). I wanted to give my body a break but not my mind, so I took on a totally new challenge – meanwhile my health started to improve as I took control of my diet, and I started to really see the benefits of a dairy free diet. However, the major downside to all of this was I began to really miss desserts, to the point where I was getting quite frustrated at the lack of dairy-free options available both in restaurants and in the shops.
My product developer light was reignited and I started researching the market, which I quickly realised was virtually non-existent. At this point I couldn’t rest, I kept asking myself, “well what if I developed my desserts for retail….”, “well, what would happen if I just decided to leave my job and make desserts for a living”….”well, if I don’t do it now, I never will”….and so after six months of questioning myself, honing my desserts and trying them out on every friend and family member, I decided to take the plunge and Pudology was borne.
What was the first Pudology pudding you made and how did it come about?
The first Pudology pudding was our Chocolate Pud. After I was diagnosed as having a dairy intolerance I thought it was the end of delicious desserts for me. One evening I was at home watching my dad tuck into a delicious looking sticky toffee pudding; in my desire to be able to join him in enjoying delicious puddings again after a year of abstinence I took to the kitchen and created a chocolate desert - the starting point of our Chocolate puddings.
Nearly two years down the line and we now have a range of five puddings - something to suit all tastes - none of which compromise for a second on taste despite being free from dairy and gluten and being vegan friendly to boot.
Who are Pudology puddings suitable for?
The great thing about our puddings is that they are suitable for everyone! Vegetarians, Vegans, coeliacs, people with dairy and lactose intolerance or just plain old pudding fans; all of you can enjoy our delicious puddings. What is more, we bet you won't even notice they're gluten and dairy free!
Where can I get my hands on Pudology Puds?
Of course you can get them right here at Real Foods and in March we'll be coming along to give the customers a chance to try them out for free and to find out more about the range.
How many Puds are there in the Pudology range?
There are currently 5 puddings in the Pudology range:
Chocolate Pud - This is where it all started, desperate for a tasty indulgent treat after a whole year of avoiding dairy, I concocted this recipe for the first time in my kitchen at home. It was love at first taste and started a whirlwind of ideas for other gorgeous desserts that were dairy free and totally moreish. The incredible combination of creamy coconut and dark decadent chocolate create this incredibly satisfying and a little bit naughty treat.
Strawberry Pud - A little sophisticated pot of frighteningly fresh tasting strawberries with the creaminess of coconut milk. The gluten free biscuit base makes this dessert a real treat if you’re avoiding dairy and gluten, it’s a bit like a cheesecake but we think it’s a hundred times better!
Banoffee Pud - The ultimate dairy free indulgence with our secret dairy free toffee sauce. Layers of crunchy biscuit, toffee and banana topped off with our indulgent dairy free chocolate ganache, this is heaven in a pot.
Lemon Pud - Our Lemon Pud is light, zesty and fresh – if you like a Lemon punch in your lemony desserts then you’ll love our Pudology Lemon Pud. This is a citrussy dessert that’s dairy free, gluten free and suitable for vegans… what more could one ask for?
Chocolate Orange Pud - Our latest Pud, and you could say we’ve saved the best for last….this is the Pud to convert anyone to a dairy free life, it’s super smooth and finished off with beautiful Brazilian Orange Oil, in other words it’s heaven in a pot….but don’t worry it won’t really be our last!
What's next for Pudology?
We’ve got a really exciting year ahead; we’re already booked into over 8 events next year ranging from Vegan shows to Gluten Free Fairs to Trade Shows; our biggest event year by a mile! We’ve got a new website launching at the beginning of the year, which is going to be an amazing interactive, recipe sharing site as well as loads of information about our products to help customers with allergies and intolerances. As for new recipes for our Puds, we hope to have an exciting Christmas offering for next year, so watch this space…