New era for Yorkshire puddings as foodies turn them into wraps

For decades it has been an integral part of a traditional Sunday lunch, served alongside roast meat and vegetables with lashings of gravy.

But now Yorkshire puddings have become the star of a new British dish, as restaurants and street food outlets up and down the country are using them to make grab-and-go wraps.   

Yorkshire pudding wraps were first born in the county of Yorkshire but have until now kept a relatively low profile. 

Independent stalls such as the Yorkshire Wrap Company and Market Wraps pioneered the trend seven years ago and have been perfecting the recipe ever since.

Carl Denning, co founder at Leeds-based caterer, Market Wraps, said: "We compete with a wealth of international cuisine including Chinese, Indian and South East Asian. But our traditional British Yorkshire pudding wraps fill a gap in the market as people want good quality local food as well.

"Originally their success came from their novelty factor, but they just seemed to snowball." 

Now the trend is spreading across the UK and is taking trendy Soho in London by storm. 

Upmarket street food stand, Yorkshire Burrito has been doing a roaring trade since setting up shop last December.

It offers punters willing to pay between £5 and £7.50 gourmet wraps like hog roast cooked in cider and stuffing, served with rosemary roast potatoes, spinach, crackling and apple sauce, and a rare roast beef wrap with a celeriac remoulade.

They are made using a "secret method" which the stall claims took four months to concoct. It involves them being cooked in the oven and left long enough rise, but not so long that they become too round to roll around meat and vegetables. 

It comes amid a growing trend for traditional British cuisine as consumers are showing their love for native produce and dishes in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Last weekend Pippa Middleton and James Matthews laid on a British-themed spread at their lavish Berkshire wedding, with delicacies including Scottish smoked salmon, ham and cheeses offered to guests. 

Nicola Knight, an independent restaurant analyst, said: "Since the Brexit result there has been an increase in British food on menus, which is similar to the trend seen around the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics. 

In those cases, we put it down to a general feeling of 'proudly British' across the country, and although this could be the same post-Brexit, concerns about costs of imported goods following the weakening of the pound are likely to be a bigger factor.

"At the same time we are seeing high levels of innovation in hand-held foods suitable for eating on-the-go, or just in a more informal way without the need for a knife and fork. Yorkshire pudding wraps and burger buns are the perfect combination of a traditional favourite adapted to suit the needs of today's consumer - a definite 'recipe for success'."