The Annual Jane Austen Dancers’ Ball at Devizes Town Hall…
This event is held each year at the beautiful Regency Assembly Room. As it was the 250th Anniversary of her birth, the 2025 Ball was very special. The dancers celebrated Jane Austen’s life and her times through the dances, dress, customs and decorum of a bygone and beloved era in our history.
The Dancers’ 30th Anniversary Ball was held on 14th February 2026.
Did you know?
Jane Austen ate Devizes Cheesecake…
“At Devizes we had comfortable rooms and a good dinner, to which we sat down about five; amongst other things we had asparagus and a lobster, which made me wish for you, and some cheesecakes, on which the children made so delightful a supper as to endear the town of Devizes to them for a long time.”
Jane Austen
Devizes Cheesecake recipe
Thanks to Dave Buxton – author of many a book on Devizes history – for keeping this recipe alive.
Dave was given the recipe in June 1996 by Leonard Strong, the last proprietor of The Original Cheesecake café in Devizes Market Place (now Caffé Vialottie) and Strong’s Bakery in The Brittox.
Not for everyone! This recipe uses rennet (in the junket) – an extract from cow’s stomach!
Ingredients
8 oz Sugar
8 oz Sponge or Madeira Crumbs
½ oz Nutmeg
2 oz Shortening at room temperature (shortening is lard or other solide fat – or use a veggie alternative)
1 Egg or egg substitute
1 Pint junket (strain all whey)
½ lb Currants
Half almonds and citron peel to garnish
Method
- Beat all together in electric mixer, if possible.
- Roll out puff pastry thin and put in small patty pans – cut edges
- Bake in moderately hot oven until the pastry is cooked
- Garnish with half almonds and thin slices of citron peel
Alternatively… roll the pastry out on a larger baking tray, ready to cut at a main meal.
Images reproducd with the kind permission of Dave Buxton & the Wiltshire Museum.
