By Henry Sutton
With its Roman Baths, Royal Crescent, medieval Abbey and Grand Parade, not too mention the fact that it’s cradled by rolling Somerset countryside, it’s no surprise Bath (www.visitbath.co.uk) is a World Heritage Site. And it’s probably no surprise either that Bath produces and has become synonymous with a particularly scrumptious and historically significant cake.
The Bath Bun was invented by the eminent 18th Century physician Dr William Oliver, who founded the Bath General Hospital and variously treated many London notables who’d been drawn by the curative properties of the spa. With something of sweet tooth himself Dr Oliver started producing buns - which were originally made from a rich egg and butter dough topped with crushed caraway seed comfits - for his patients. However, they proved so popular that apparently the rest of his treatments became ineffective against his patients’ sudden weight gain. As an antidote he also invented the somewhat austere Bath Oliver Biscuit.
Though both have not only survived but continue to be consumed in vast quantities, it’s the Bath Bun that’s given pride of place on so many cafes’ and restaurants’ menus. While most commonly the caraway seed comfits - a comfit being a form of sugary crystallisation - have been replaced by candied peel and crushed sugar, Bath Buns are still a riot of decadence. The opulence of the recently restored neo-classical Pump Room (www.romanbaths.co.uk), is not just the perfect place to sink your teeth into the soft, rich dough, but it’s also where the buns first gained notoriety. However, at the Pump Room they should always be eaten not with a cup of tea or coffee but a glass of warm, sulphuric water hand drawn from the spa.
While the nearby Hands Tea-room - occupying a Georgian town house - is just one of many other fine establishments serving superior Bath Buns, any serious bun fan has to visit Sally Lunn’s House (www.sallylunns.co.uk). Both a café and a museum, the building dates from the 15th century, though Sally Lunn didn’t make her mark until the late 17th century. As a young refugee from France, Sally soon began baking rich, round buns, really a sort of brioche, which still to this day are halved and served with either savoury or sweet toppings. It’s probably best to visit the museum in the cellars before tucking in. The stairway is particularly narrow, however on view is Sally original Georgian range and numerous cooking utensils, plus, this being Bath, some fascinating Roman foundations.