What happened to The Great Christmas Pudding Race in Covent Garden?
This is why Covent Garden’s annual Christmas Pudding Race no longer takes place
London is home to many Christmas traditions from Xmas Day swims to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree.
One of the most beloved traditions was ‘The Great Christmas Pudding Race’ held in Covent Garden - but sadly it no longer takes place.
The annual event saw people race around an obstacle course balancing puddings on plates. It wasn’t just a spectacle but also a charity event, making it both bizarre and heart-warming.
The event would raise money for Cancer Research.
Teams of 4 in an array of fantastic fancy dress outfits – ranging from Santa Claus, Reindeer, Superheroes, Minions, and more – would race through a fun-filled festive obstacle course complete with giant inflatables all while carefully balancing a Christmas Pudding on a tray.
But sadly the event ended in 2022. The event was cancelled in 2022, for ‘economic reasons’, and unfortunately it hasn’t run since.
A post on the Great Christmas Pudding Race Facebook page, at the time said: “We are very sad to announce that we have had to take the difficult decision to cancel The Great Christmas Pudding Race Dec 2022. The impact of the current economic climate has hugely affected the charity sector and The Great Christmas Pudding Race has sadly proved no exception.
“We were all very excited to hold The Great Christmas Pudding Race this year after a 2-year Covid-enforced break especially as this would have been our milestone 40th race. If you would still like to make a donation to Cancer Research UK through our committee, you can do so. As always, thank you for your continued support and we are sorry that we won't be seeing you in Covent Garden this December.
“Wishing you and your families a very happy festive season.”
It’s not known if the race will return to the streets of London but we are holding out hope.