Bacon Trifle? …Why?

In either my home page or my first blog, I recall writing that trifle is one of those desserts that I wouldn’t ever order in a restaurant. Trifle is not a Michelin star restaurant sort of thing. It is humble, homely and unpretentious.

But there is something about trifle that is irresistible, everyone wants to share their trifle story, so there are plenty of celebrity chef trifles featured in cook books, magazines, restaurants and supermarkets. The benefits of professional trifles has to be the amazing images! The internet if full of fancy trifle pics and like professional models, there is a certain X factor that a professional food photographer can achieve that is undeniable.

For many years I have admired Heston Blumenthal and I have watched all the TV shows and even eaten at his London restaurant, “Dinner”. But when my wife sent me a link to a story about his banana and bacon trifle, I was a little concerned. When I read the story and found out that this was a trifle he had produced for an upmarket supermarket chain called Waitrose, I was even more concerned.

Obviously Heston is English and so to be fair he probably knows a lot more about trifle than I do. I am not sure if trifle is something that is taught at Culinary School but I am sure he has had his fair share of trifle growing up. Heston has also made a name for himself by combining unusual flavours and textures and there are few who can match his enthusiasm and creativity. But why the trifle and why bacon?

I really did not feel it was fair to rubbish this without having tried it for myself so I didn’t know how I was going to write this blog or if in fact, I would write it at all. So I started looking for some reviews to see what punters, who had tried it said. I was expecting the reviews to be amazing. I was hoping the reviews would change my mind and make me want to try it. I even looked at the “behind the scenes” promotional video with Heston and his top brass talk about the development of the trifle. The video was shameless, some might say they went “the whole hog” and all I kept thinking was, why would he do this, is he really this hard up for cash?

Then I came across this most hilarious youtube review by Charlie Fleming .  This was the answer I was looking for, I didn’t have to say anything more, I will leave it all to Charlie.

enjoy!