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The Maid of Honour cake has been part of Richmond
history for nearly 300 years. Although there are numerous legends
about their origin, it is generally believed that Henry VIII
was the first to use the name when he met Ann Boleyn and other
Maids of Honour eating the cakes from a silver dish. It would
appear that King Henry VIII was so delighted with the cakes
that the recipe was kept secret and locked in an iron box in
Richmond Palace.
Some stories go even further and claim that in order to protect
the secret the unfortunate 'Maid' who invented the cake was
imprisoned within the palace grounds and ordered to produce
the pastries solely for, King Henry and the Royal Household!
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Certainly by the early l8th Century the recipe had been disclosed
to a bakery in Richmond and they became one of the features
of fashionable Richmond throughout that century and beyond.
The first Original Maids of Honour shop was on the corner of
Hill Street in Richmond under the ownership of Mr. John Billet
and can be traced back to the early 18th Century. It was here
that Robert Newens served his apprenticeship. In 1850 he opened
premises in King Street, later moving to No.3 George Street,
and continued the tradition of selling and making 'Maids of
Honour' in Richmond.
A Brief
History Continued » |
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| Maids
of Honour Shop |
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