It may seem like Christmas is a long way off, but now is traditionally the time when people may start making their Christmas pudding, sometimes following an age-old family recipe.

These fruity and nutty festive desserts are always the highlight of the Christmas dinner table, and in Great Yarmouth the Christmas Fayre Pudding Competition is set to put the dessert to the test.

To prove their pudding prowess, people from across East Anglia are now invited to enter their culinary Christmas pudding creations into the competition. Among the judges who will blind-taste the entries is chef Daniel Smith, of the Ingham Swan, who is currently featuring in the BBC2 TV series the Great British Menu, a show in which the nation's top chefs compete for the chance to cook a banquet for a high-profile figure.

The competition is being run by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Great Yarmouth Town Centre Partnership, key partners in the annual Christmas Fayre.

Mr Smith said: 'We'll want to look at how it's been made, the fruit content, and the alcohol.'

He said his mother's recipe - which is often served at his restaurants - had set a high bar but he was looking forward to tasting other creations.

The puddings will be judged in the town's Market Place, on the first day of the Christmas Fayre, Friday, November 25.

Featuring festive food, craft and market stalls, as well as live musical entertainment, fun walkabout characters and other attractions, the fayre will run from Friday, November 25 to Sunday, November 27, with the Christmas Lights Switch-on taking place at 7pm on the Friday.

To take part in the pudding competition, send your name, address and contact telephone number to Laura Goodman via Laura.goodman@great-yarmouth.co.uk or Laura Goodman, Events Office, Town Hall, Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 2QF. People interested in having a stall during the fayre can also contact Laura.