Mary Berry to judge competition to find a dessert fit for the Queen for her Platinum Jubilee 

First the Victoria Sponge, then the Coronation Chicken, and now the Queen’s Platinum Pudding.

Drawing inspiration from dishes created to commemorate previous royal events, Buckingham Palace today announces a nationwide baking competition to find a suitable dessert for the Queen to commemorate her historic jubilee.

Launched with Fortnum and Mason and The Big Jubilee Lunch, the contest will be open to all UK residents over the age of eight.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of expert judges that will include Dame Mary Berry, Monica Galetti from Masterchef and Mark Flanagan, the head chef at Buckingham Palace.

Details have emerged of other plans to celebrate the monarch’s milestone, including a special Trooping the Color, a Thanksgiving service, the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace, a show at Windsor Castle and a series of special exhibitions in royal residences.

They are looking for an ‘inventive’ dish that can be enjoyed by all, and will be dedicated to the Queen to celebrate her 70 years of service.

Five finalists will be invited to the Fortnum store in London’s Piccadilly to create their masterpieces for the judges and the winner will be crowned the creator of the platinum pudding.

The recipe will be available for communities to share at approximately 200,000 Big Jubilee Lunch street parties taking place during the four-day celebration weekend in June.

It comes as details have emerged of other plans to celebrate the monarch’s milestone, including a special Trooping the Color, a Thanksgiving service, the BBC Platinum Party at the Palace, a show at Windsor Castle and a series of special exhibitions in royal residences.

There will also be a Platinum Jubilee contest in London.

Flanagan recommended that the pudding contest participants keep their recipes simple.

He added that they should think ‘subtle and elegant rather than fussy and overly complicated’, with flavors that ‘sing along’.

Dame Mary said she was “excited” to judge a competition to “make the perfect pudding for the queen.”

The registration period ends on February 4, after which they will be judged by a panel of award-winning home bakers, professional chefs, authors, historians and pastry chefs, who will choose their five favorites to advance to the final round.

Next year’s Platinum Jubilee contest will be the “largest ever,” organizers say, even surpassing the events held in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s diamond landmark. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II (second from left) with children on October 1 at the start of the queen’s official green canopy planting season, part of the Platinum Jubilee initiative

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said the competition was a “wonderful” way to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. “I know it will inspire people of all ages across the UK to cook.”

Tom Athron, CEO of Fortnum and Mason, said: ‘We are proud to launch the Platinum Pudding competition to celebrate and thank the Queen’s incredible 70 years of service.

“We hope everyone will roll up their sleeves and get involved, from individuals, families and community groups to residences, schools and universities.”

The Big Jubilee Lunch will be the largest community celebration in the country, bringing people together to share ‘friendship, food and fun’ during the four-day holiday weekend of June 2-5.

Executive Director Peter Stewart said, “We are very excited to bring the spirit of jubilee to all neighborhoods with The Big Jubilee Lunch this June.”

The contest, which will see thousands of artists, dancers, musicians and military personnel come together to tell the story of the Queen’s 70-year reign, also calls for schools to get involved by helping design silk posters to be carried around The Mall. in London.

More details on the Platinum Pudding competition can be found at www.fortnumandmason.com/platinum-pudding.