I am posting this on a new page, as it is not Irish food but English food that might be eaten at this time. The North West of England though, is only a few miles across the sea from Ireland, and the influences are there. I have included a brief mention of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, too, as these are also important feasts.
Beswick Easter Food
by Veronica
Easter is our main feast. Yes, Christmas is an important feast, but not as important as Easter. The Resurrection.. This is a short post about our Beswick family celebrations.
Maundy Thursday Passover meal
![]() Seder |
Passover Seder Meal
At Church, we often have a Jewish Passover meal together the day before Maundy Thursday. I have never cooked it, but members of the Congregation do in traditional Jewish style, as Jesus would have eaten.
It includes roast lamb, eggs, herbs, beetroot, bread, wine.
Good Friday
![]() Hot Cross Buns |
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons.
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
Thus goes the old English Children's Sing-song Rhyme.
Hot cross buns are spiced dried fruit buns, finished off with a Cross on top. These are traditionally eaten on Good Friday in England to commemorate The Crucifixion. The buns are usually spiced with cinnamon.
The hot cross buns that are baked locally are so good that I have never ever cooked them. I buy them. They are eaten with butter or jam.
Fish pie
![]() Fish Pie |
No meat
Good Friday
As Catholics, we do not eat Meat on Good Friday. So, what do the Beswicks have? As children, Frank and I would have a Cheese and Onion pie baked by our mum. She could get a meal out of very few ingredients. I continued this tradition for my family.
Now our family has extended, I cook a fish stew and a cheese and onion pie, served after 3.00 pm service. This year I might do a fish pie.
Fish Pie serves 4 -6
Ingredients
1 pack of fish pie mix containing salmon, smoked fish and cod .Approx 1.5 lbs
1 pack of prawns / shrimps
1 pint of cheese sauce seasoned to taste
2lbs mashed potatoes
melted butter
....................................................
Method
1.
Make or buy your cheese sauce. Warm it on the stove and add the fish at the end of making the sauce. Make sure the fish is coated in warm sauce. Place this mixture in an ovenproof dish
2.
Make or buy your mashed potatoes and spoon this on to the fish mixture. Level it out and put some melted butter on top
3
Cook in the oven 190C/Gas 5./ 325 F for approx 25
Roast leg of lamb
![]() Lamb |
Easter Sunday in our household
Roast Lamb , veggies and "all the trimmings" ...roast potatoes veg and gravy
Mini egg cheesecake
Apple shortcake and ice cream of your choice
Roast leg of Lamb
1 large leg of lamb is cooked for approx 2.5 hours with a syrup glaze with chopped fresh rosemary from my neighbours garden and apricots smashed down and mixed in . Season to taste and brush this over the lamb This is then poured over the lamb . Place the lamb in foil and roast on 350F , 175C
Apple shortcake
Mum always made this on Easter Sunday and I do too. It is very easy . The apple flavours rise and soften and flavour the short cake. It contains no liquid.
Apple short cake
Ingredients
4 large cooking apples, peeled and sliced
10 ounces of plain flour
8 ounces of soft butter
4 ozs of confectioners sugar
Method
1. Prepare the apples. and place in an oven-proof dish.
2 Place the flour, soft butter and sugar in the mixer and blend them together until they form a ball of dough.
3 Get a food bag and spoon the dough into it. Flatten it out inside the bag. Cut the bag and carefully lay the dough on top of the apples. Cover with a lid or foil
4. Cook on approx 180C /375F for approx 40 minutes or until cooked.
5. Serve with ice cream of choice.
Good Friday on the day April 2026
Change of plan
For dinner, I made a crustless quiche, cheese and onion in flavour, as I was delayed leaving church, and this is quick. It is served with spinach, carrots and fresh tomatoes. No carbs for me.
Good Friday evening meal this year
![]() Crustless quiche Veronica's picture |
Conclusion
Thank you so much to you all. I never thought that my food pages would be as popular as they are. But I get so much positivity from readers. Big Brother Frank Beswick and I have a lovely, kind, delightful family and celebrations are always accompanied by food.
I hope these dishes are of interest.
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Comments
The computer crashed again afore I could convey the following:
Happy Easter to you and your husband and your family and to Frank and Maureen and their family!
The computer crashed afore I could communicate another component of my comment below.
What do your Good-Friday meals do as non-alcoholic drinks?
Atlantic west-pond siders sometimes count among baked- and fresh-food ingredients cooking wines.
Might you make some foods with your white sparkling wine among their ingredients or would you work with a white-wine bottle with "cooking wine" written on its label?
I do not drink alcohol on Good Friday out of respect. I only drink white sparkling wine, so that is for Easter Sunday. English "Champagne" or Prosecco.
Good Friday evening.
A change of plan, still meat-free.
The computer crashed again afore I could convey another component to my comment below.
What do you decide upon to drink with the fish dish Good Friday and with the lamb Easter Sunday? (I'd like to be as Veronica-authentic as possible ;-D!)
We tend to eat Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday because of the Cross.
Whatever ice cream people want.. I dislike chocolate ice cream. Other people like it . My husband likes vanilla nothing else.. I only like rum and raisin . Ice cream is very personal.
The computer crashed afore I could complete another component to my comment below.
Concerning the traditional hot-cross buns for this Easter Sunday, I choose to center them with one of each of your traditional choice of top covering them with apricot or strawberry jam!
Thank you for your comment below in answer to my previous observation and question.
In particular, it helps having my Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost with all the recipes here and in your other wizzley.
One more question: what kind of ice cream might you match the apple shortcake with?