Hartleys Blackcurrant Jelly - 135g

Jelly is one of the quiet pillars of British pudding. It holds up a trifle, turns up at every children's party and gets set in a mould by someone who swears it will come out clean this time.

Over here, jelly is something you spread on toast, which makes asking for it in a shop a confusing conversation. So people search for it by name, Hartley's and blackcurrant, because that is the one they actually mean.

Each pack is a single tablet of jelly cubes, enough for a proper bowlful, and it sits happily in the cupboard until somebody announces a trifle. Break it up, dissolve it in boiling water, top up with cold and give it a few hours in the fridge. Patience is the only tricky part.

Hartley's is better known in Britain for its jam, so a jar of that tends to end up in the same basket. For trifle you will want custard and sponge fingers too, and a spoon long enough to reach the bottom layer.