Coventry God Cakes

Coventry's traditional pastry, the 'Coventry Godcake', which dates back several centuries, has today gone back on the menu in the city, having not been regularly available for many years. Whilst Melton Mowbray is famous for its pork pies, and tourists flock to Cornwall in search of pasties and clotted cream, local Blue Badge tour guide and baker Leigh Waite feels that Coventry has been keeping its own delicious delicacy under a bushel for too long - and she is on a mission to bring this centuries-old tradition back to the city once again. The Coventry Godcake is a triangular pastry parcel filled with a special type of sweet mincemeat, and Leigh has been baking them for special events in the City for several years. She uses a traditional 200 year old recipe which includes a number of secret ingredients, and which was given to her by a local historian after it was handed down through several generations of the same Coventry family. Leigh already has her first outlet for the Godcakes - Coventry Transport Museum's coffee house 'Esquires' is stocking them from today, Friday 3rd August onwards, and both Leigh and staff at the Transport Museum are extremely excited about once again being able to share this edible piece of history with visitors. Leigh, who as well as being a Blue Badge tour guide also runs her own baking business 'Edible Enchantments' explained: "There are all sorts of stories and secrets surrounding the Godcake, but we do know that they were traditionally given by Godparents to their Godchildren at New Year, along with a blessing for the year ahead. The triangular shape, along with the three slashes in the top of the pastry, is thought to represent the Holy Trinity - and some people say that on biting the three corners of the cake the child was expected to recite 'God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost'. Traditionally, Godcakes ranged in size and price - the wealthier the Godparent, the bigger the cake. I will only be baking one size of Godcake for the Transport Museum coffee house, so things will be a lot more democratic these days!" Esquires Coffee House is the first outlet to start regularly stocking the Godcake, and Owner Steven Prime said: "I'm really excited about selling these pastries in Esquires - it's great that we can support Leigh in reviving this fascinating tradition and I am confident that, just as tourists visit Melton Mowbray to try their famous pork pies, it won't be long before people want to come to Coventry to try our delicious Godcakes too! As a coffee chain that specialises in supporting our local communities, we're continually looking for new ways to celebrate our heritage and local traditions; especially when they taste this good." Coventry Godcakes are now on sale in Esquires Coffee House, within Coventry Transport Museum.