Producing the Goods

Bath Buns and Sally Lunns

Visitors to Bath might be confused by the duplicity of buns on which it prides itself, the idea of the two very distinct items contracting into one in people's imaginations. The Bath Bun is a rich and sweet confection devised - perhaps self-defeatingly - by 18th century health guru Dr W Oliver. He tried to counteract its rather deleterous health effects by intoducing Bath Olivers, rather dry, plain biscuits. But the damage to waistlines was already done. Bath's Pump Rooms still make a feature of the buns, and there is a local café the Bath Bun Tea Rooms on North Parade, where you can eat a bun baked with a whole cube of sugar inside.

Opposite The Bath Bun Tea Rooms is Sally Lunn's. The trademark Sally Lunn bun is a brioche-like delicacy, served with either sweet or savoury accompaniment. Whether there ever was a Sally Lunn is open to conjecture. Traditionally she was either daughter of a Bath pastry chef, or (because of the Gallic nature of the brioche) a French refugee - though her non-French-sounding name rather goes against this latter. It may be that the name was suggested by the cries of a French brioche seller in the city, and be a misunderstood anglicising of 'Sol et Lune' - the sun and moon perhaps representing sweet and savoury aspects of this round planet-like bun. Sally Lunns can be eaten in the tea rooms where they are uniquely baked, or taken away - hence a prime contender for edible souvenir.

More information:
<www.sallylunns.co.uk>
<members.cox.net/jjschnebel/sallylun.html>
<www.ukstudentlife.com>