plum duff

When we saw the release promising us that "Victorian produce shines at Gulfood in Dubai," The Spin was hoping for a trip down memory lane, where you could feast on sheep's trotters, hot eels and plum duff before a bracing outing on the penny farthing to whip some orphans.

"Did you know, if you placed every plum sold in Worcestershire - the beleaguered fruit's powerbase - during the season in a straight line along the M5 fastlane it would, within minutes, become too slippery to use?" I've also discovered plum duff is not a pregnant plum.

Captain Andy Legg led a team of eight men in Operation Plum Duff, part of the response to the sinking of HMS Sheffield by an Exocet missile in May 1982.

Plum pudding has been replaced with huge lashings of Tory plum duff.

The mini melee that followed at least brought energy to an encounter that had been plum duff at a time of year when we're all anticipating a brandy soaked pudding.

" These moments of high enthusiasm filled my chest, or at least a girth already padded with mince pies and generous helpings of plum duff. At the final "O come let us adore Him" my zealous, if untutored baritone, was the loudest voice in the grand assembly.

A plum duff might be too substantial but why not try a plum tarte tatin with lemongrass and star anise ice cream?

It enhances the raisiny sweetness of plum duff and brings out the orange peel and lemon zest of mince pies.

There might be plum duff (a heavy, plain flour pudding with currants or raisins) for dessert.

Christmas will be a miserable affair this year with a twig for a tree, turnips for presents and families having to make do with sausage and mash instead of turkey and plum duff.

A million of us even forsook the turkey and plum duff to come into the workplace on Christmas Day itself.