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Best Jam roly-poly in London
“A suet pudding steamed in a shirt-sleeve, rolled with jam and served with custard—born from practical British cooking.”
What the real thing tastes like
Jam roly-poly, shirt-sleeve pudding, dead man's arm or dead man's leg is a traditional British pudding probably first created in the early 19th century. It is a flat-rolled suet pudding, which is spread with jam and rolled up, similar to a Swiss roll, then steamed or baked and traditionally served with custard. In days past, jam roly-poly was also known as shirt-sleeve pudding, because it was often steamed and served in an old shirt-sleeve, leading to the nicknames of dead-man's arm and dead man's leg. In the past it was known as roly poly pudding.
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Jam roly-poly is a British steamed pudding born in the early 19th century, built on a foundation of suet dough rolled flat, spread with jam, and wound tight like a Swiss roll before being steamed or baked. Traditionally served with custard, this homely dessert earned its grim nicknames—dead man's arm, dead man's leg—from the Victorian practice of steaming it inside an old shirt-sleeve, which gave the finished pudding its distinctive tubular shape.
Order it here when it has
- Traditional British comfort pudding
- Simple rolled construction
- Served with custard
- Long cultural history
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