Pud to the vote

Writers batter it out over Yorkshires with Xmas turkey

- POLLY HUDSON, SIOBHAN MCNALLY

THE great festive debate has kicked off - whether or not to have Yorkshire puddings with the turkey.

To some, their absence is a catastrophe ranking alongside bacon without eggs or fish without chips.

Opponents, on the other hand, consider that including them alongside the sprouts and roasties is little short of sacrilege.

Now, a poll for Churchill Insurance backs pud proponents, revealing 36% consider them the seventh greatest Christmas tradition - more important than TV specials and charades.

Roast turkey topped the list followed by mince pies, filled stockings, mulled wine, Boxing Day walks and a Christmas film.

So the Yorkshire pud, first mentioned in 1737 cookbook The Whole Duty of a Woman, continues to divide Britain.

Here, two of our writers go to war over their pros and cons...

YES 

POLLY HUDSON

THIS debate isn't even a debate. There is so incredibly clearly a right answer here it's actually impossible to even imagine how anyone could be so deluded and misguided as to think any differently.

The Sunday roast is the best meal it is possible to have. Christmas dinner is the ultimate Sunday roast. The roast of all roasts. The king of roasts. The roast so significant and noteworthy that you have it only once every 365 days.

The Yorkshire pudding is inarguably the most important element of a roast dinner.