The way Queen Victoria enjoyed her cake was two sponges sandwiched together with fresh cream and jam. For me the Victoria Sponge Cake is quintessentially British and very befitting to make at the very sad loss of our beloved Elizabeth the Great.

The gooseberry for me is one of the best fruits that grows abundantly in Britain, often seen glistening in the hedgerows in varying colours from white, yellow, to a pale green and even red.

Cultivation of the gooseberry was first recorded in England as far back as the 13th century, however not widely grown until the early 1500s. The 19th century saw a great rise in the prominence of the gooseberry as it was traditionally served with fatty meat or oily fish. In France gooseberries are called ‘le groseillier à maquereau’, which can be translated as ‘the mackerel currant’ as they were popularly eaten with mackerel and are a member of the Ribes (currant) family.

I have made jam from gooseberries infused with Queen Elizabeth’s favourite tipple, gin and Dubonnet, for a little decadence.

Kiwi is of Chinese origin and so is also known as Chinese gooseberry but not actually from the same family. Kiwiberry is a bite-sized fruit the size of a grape and a mini version of a kiwi without the fuzzy skin but with bags of flavour.

The gooseberry jam and the kiwiberries hopefully balance the sweetness of the cake and cream. #ChristmasGift