Today, Holy Thursday, will find many of us spinning around the supermarkets in search of the last Easter buns and cheese. Good Friday is, after all, the day dedicated to non-stop fish, bun and cheese eating.

The Ebanks family will be eating their own home-made bun. The recipe has already been successfully passed down one generation, and is about to be enjoyed by a third.

Thursday Food caught up with Robert Ebanks on Saturday afternoon, as he was getting ready to put his first batch of buns in the oven. “I was,” he says, “for the first five years of my life the batter eater. My mother Ivy would bake, and I would naturally watch her carefully, and enjoy the spoon.”

The roles have changed. His mother Ivy is no longer mixing batter. Truth is, she is hardly in the kitchen. Ebanks bakes at Christmas as well as at Easter. He has also taken a couple of bold moves. He’s added his own twist to his mother’s recipe. “I’ve added eggs, my mum uses citron. I also use Red Stripe instead of stout. The eggs in my opinion gives the bun a lift. I’m not a lover of anything sour so citron is a no-no. The choice is however, an individual one.”

Robert Ebanks, who shared his Christmas cake recipe with readers last year, has mastered the bun-making technique and like many of the experts, adds a little bit of this, and that. All in the name of a juicy Easter bun. “I don’t measure…just judge,” he said.

His judgement is obviously sound, for his children, it would appear, are planning to continue the family tradition of bun-making. In between mouthfuls of batter, they help to stir and are eager to do the tasting. The only words of advice come from his father Ryman:

“The mixture feels sticky,” he quips.

Ivy Ebanks in a quiet tone, explains to her husband that bun batter is sticky. His son merely smiles. There is no comment from the Thursday Food. We’re happy to wait until the bun is sliced and served.

The results prove that Robert Ebanks has not only mastered the technique, but has developed a formula that needs to be packaged for local and international consumption.

We are happy to be able to share the recipe with all our readers. The kitchen continues to be the place where all cultures meet and is certainly the place to ensure that the family unit remains strong. We have been promised a taste of the second batch so there is no baking for us.

Have a happy and safe Easter.