Fruit slice

Lore & Background

The term fruit slice encompasses several regional pastries, including what is called 'flies' graveyard' or 'flies' cemetery' in parts of the UK and New Zealand, where the currants are jokingly said to resemble dead flies. In Scotland, they are known as fly cakes, fruit slices, or fruit squares; in Northern Ireland, as currant squares; and in the North East of England, as fly cakes or fly pie. The Garibaldi biscuit, with a layer of squashed currants, is commonly called a 'fly sandwich', 'squashed fly biscuit', or 'dead fly biscuit' in the UK.

In Dublin, Ireland, a similar confection is called Gur cake, also known as chester cake elsewhere in Ireland, and gudge or donkey's gudge in Cork. It consists of a thick layer of filling between two thin layers of pastry, the filling being a dark brown paste of cake/bread crumbs, dried fruits, and a sweetener/binder. Its name is thought to be a contraction of 'gurrier cake', referencing children who skipped school (gurriers) and could afford only this cheap item. In the 1940s, these cakes were referred to as 'depth charges' due to their density and weight, like WWII bombs. Gur cake is typically sold cut into squares of about 8 by 3 cm.

Reader's Guide

Fruit slice and its regional variants represent a tradition of economical baking, using leftover ingredients to create affordable pastries. The many nicknames—flies' graveyard, fly cake, Gur cake—reflect local humor and identity, with the 'dead fly' imagery being a playful acknowledgment of the dark currants. In Dublin, Gur cake became symbolic of working-class areas, highlighted in books such as 'Gur Cake and Coal Blocks' (1976) by historian Éamonn Mac Thomáis. The persistence of these names and recipes across the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand shows how a simple, thrifty confection can become a cultural touchstone, linking food to social history and regional pride.

Did You Know?

• The term 'flies' graveyard' is a nickname used in various parts of the UK and New Zealand for sweet pastries filled with currants or raisins.
• In Dublin, Gur cake was referred to as 'depth charges' in the 1940s because of its density and weight, like WWII bombs.