Who will save the famous Banbury Cake from extinction?
20/02/2025
The search is underway to find someone to take on the centuries-old secret recipe
Could the famous Banbury Cake be about to die out?
Air fryer manufacturer Ninja has named the oval-shaped puff pastry treat encasing a succulent filling as one of the British dishes which are at risk of extinction. They surveyed 2,000 people and studied search trends to uncover how the country’s food habits are changing. This left them speculating the Banbury Cake will cease to exist after December 2028.
But Philip Brown, who makes the cakes, says that unless the right person can be found to take on the secret recipe there might be some truth in the speculation.
Mr Brown is now 76 and has been making the cakes since he was 12. They are still popular locally and available at Banbury Museum and in a number of village shops and other outlets.
Despite others claiming to make the treat no-one apart from Mr Brown knows the Brown’s Original Banbury Cakes recipe, which has been in his family for hundreds of years and dates back to the 13th Century.
Mr Brown would be upset to think real Banbury Cakes might disappear. He said: “I’d be rather sad. The family has been associated with them since Beesley’s bought it in 1818. My four times great aunt married into the Beasley family in 1829 so we’ve been associated with it since 1818.”
Its hoped a local baker can be found to take on this secret Banbury Cake recipe, agreeing to keep the mystery and the pastry treat alive for years to come.
Mr Brown added: “I would look for somebody who was an artisan baker, who had knowledge of pastry work.
“I won’t give up and will continue to try to find somebody who might take it on, but time’s getting on.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
