Train operator serves up special brownie with a hint of a Wigan delicacy

Working with Flintshire bakery The Pudding Compartment – which supplies cakes and biscuits to the the intercity operator – and Wigan’s own Wm Santus confectionary factory, it has produced a bespoke bake - Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls Brownie – for its latest seasonal First Class Menu.

Based on a recipe by Preston-based train manager, Helen May, the brownie celebrates Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls – the popular mint-flavoured sweet manufactured in Wigan using the same traditional methods as when it was originally made in 1898.

The classic combination of chocolate and mint showcasing a local confectionery was selected as a sweet treat for customers following an internal baking competition to create a limited-edition product that can be served in First Class.

When Helen’s winning bake was being upscaled to 15,000 portions, Uncle Joe’s helped The Pudding Compartment and Avanti West Coast replicate the unique mint taste by supporting with their secret recipe, which has been passed down through family generations.

Helen said: “Mint and chocolate go together perfectly, so with the renowned Wigan sweet being local to the West Coast Main Line I thought it was a great idea to use the unique mint taste in my brownie.

"I’m delighted it was selected as the winning recipe and have loved seeing my bake come to life thanks to the efforts of The Pudding Compartment and Uncle

Joe’s.

"I feel so proud my Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls brownie has been made into a product for customers across our route to enjoy and hope they like the taste of the popular traditional sweet.”

As a Wigan resident, Helen wanted to create something local to her, so incorporated Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls, which are notorious with the town, into her brownie.

Helen spent weeks perfecting her recipe, which was tried and tested by her partner and chief taster, Rory as well as staff at his depot in Manchester, to beat competition from colleagues across the West Coast.

Antony Winnard, joint managing director of Wm Santus & Co, said: “We are very proud that people up and down the West Coast will get to sample our Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls in Helen’s excellent brownie.

“We’re flattered that as a Wigan resident, she’s chosen to include this Wigan delicacy in her winning bake and I’m sure those travelling on an Avanti West Coast train will love it.

“It tastes great and we are delighted to support The Pudding Compartment, which is another small business on the West Coast route, with a supply of our secret ingredients so they could turn Helen’s bake into something everyone onboard can enjoy.”

Rob Taylor, Food and Beverage Development Lead at Avanti West Coast, said: “Helen’s brownie had something different – a unique flavour of a local sweet - which is one reason why it was selected to be made into a product for customers onboard our trains.

"By using locally produced confectionery, it’s allowed us to bring together two small businesses who are only hundreds of metres from parts of our route. It has been great collaborating with The Pudding Compartment and Uncle Joe’s to replicate Helen’s winning recipe.

Steve West, Managing Director of The Pudding Compartment, said: “Working with Uncle Joe’s to bring Helen’s vision and product into reality was exciting.

"Many people in North West England are familiar with the taste of Uncle Joe’s so making sure we could capture that flavour while upscaling the winning brownie recipe was a challenge we thoroughly enjoyed.

"To see how appreciative and pleased Helen was with the result made it all worthwhile.

"We love what we do and it’s fantastic to work with Avanti West Coast who like to champion local produce and flavours. We hope customers along the West Coast enjoy this latest bake.”

The familiar flavour of the traditional sweet can now be savoured by customers travelling between London, Scotland, and Holyhead with the limited-edition brownie.