| Where: | Formerly at Bristol, Avon at Church of St-Michael-on-the-Mount Without but now held privately at the school |
| When: | Formerly Easter Tuesday |
| Time: |
Tuppenny starvers are large fruit buns which were distributed every Easter Tuesday at the church of St-Michael-on-the-Mount Without in Bristol. It’s a charity dole dating back three hundred years but as the church is no longer in use the custom has evolved into the Bun Festival, which is held at the local school. Although not open to the general public, the tradition still continues!
See comments section below for the alternative Tuppenny Stavers spelling- apparently the buns were given out to stave off hunger. Interesting!
View this location on the map.
What is the recipe for the buns? Would appreciate recipe.
waynekelleysr@yahoo.com
Thanks
Sorry Wayne – I haven’t got a recipe!
Hope you can track one down,
Averil
Hi Wayne,
I came across a recipe today for Tuppenny Starvers (also known as Colston Buns) so if you follow this link and scroll well down the page, you can find the recipe and a photo of the finished bun: https://thatravellinggourmet.com/2017/05/23/the-search-for-the-colston-bun/. Enjoy!
Averil
Thanks very much. I am baking some for my Pinochle club. This will be fun.
You’re welcome – hope they’re tasty!
Is it possible that that the Colston Bun and the Tupenny Starver are not the same? I would think that the original Starvers would have been less elaborate since being made for the poor children. There is so much fruit in the Colston Buns it would seem they would have been as they are how expensive to make? A more simple made Starver with less dried fruit would seem more appropriate. Just asking since I plan to make some this week.
You may well be right Wayne – but I’m no expert so I’m not sure. Sorry I can’t be more help!I expect they’ll be tastier with the extra fruit- and maybe they would have been fruity to make it more of a treat?
Averil
Hello! The Colston bun and the tuppenny starver are the same thing – I believe they were given to the poor in the 18th/19th century, then later for a meager price, hence tuppenny starver. The recipe from “The Traveling Gourmet” does not seem to be accurate. I went to one of the “Colston” schools, and we would get these buns once a year. The recipe on the quoted website has far too much fruit and looks much more dense than the buns we had. The tuppenny starver/Colston bun has a more similar texture to a hot cross bun, however much larger with different spices. I hope this helps- I am on the hunt for a recipe myself and will post when I have found it!
Hi Sam,
Insider knowledge is just what was needed here so thanks for your insight! I look forward to seeing the genuine recipe when you manage to find one,
Averil
It’s a tuppeny staver not starver
It’s origins come from when the children would collect an eight section Colston bun and we’re allowed to eat 1 section of it (known as the staver) to stave off hunger until later when the family would eat together
That’s interesting Kristian- I shall put a note on the page about it but will stick with the Starver spelling on the site as all the other online references I can find use that spelling.
Thanks for the info!
Averil