The precise ingredients of the Sharrow Bay Sticky Toffee Pudding have remained a closely-guarded secret since the dessert was first invented at the hotel in the 1970s by the late Francis Coulson. Many variations of Sticky Toffee Pudding appear on menus up and down the country but Mr Coulson is widely credited as having invented the dessert at the hotel and his original ingredients have been kept a secret ever since. Now a major "culinary espionage" has been discovered after an attempt was made to secretly record the recipe using a hidden camera in the hotel kitchens, which was posted onto You Tube. The incident happened during a sticky toffee masterclass the hotel was running to pilot test lessons available at its Culinary School; set to open in 2009. The undercover "agent" referred to themselves as 'Kitchen Spy' and called the act 'Mission 1' of what would seem like the first in a series of attempts to discover other top secret recipes. Now anyone taking part in Sharrow Bay's culinary schools will need to sign a version of the Official Secrets Act or a "culinary contract," which politely forbids them from ever disclosing the recipe in an effort to safeguard the pudding's integrity. Chefs at the hotel will also be contractually obliged not to divulge the recipe to anyone. A Sharrow Bay spokesman said: "Protecting the recipe of the Original Sharrow Bay Sticky Toffee Pudding is something we take extremely seriously. Without Francis Coulson, the hotel and the pudding as they are today would not exist. In gourmet terms, getting hold of the recipe is something of a culinary holy grail and we will do everything we can to safeguard it." Those willing to sign the hotel's Official Secrets Act will be given special access to the recipe in the company of one of the hotel's head chefs but to do so does not come without a price. The culinary courses, which include one night's dinner, bed and breakfast at the top hotel, cost £1,948 per person. The hotel spokesman added: "There is a tremendous amount of interest among our guests and in the industry about the precise ingredients of our Sticky Toffee Pudding so we expect those wanting to take part in the schools and staff to be prepared to respect the need for the recipe to remain a total secret." Sticky Toffee Pudding is sold over the counter in top retailers such as Harvey Nichols, Scotts of Stow, Booths and Lakeland amongst others. The commercial puddings are made by the Ultimate Plum Pudding Company based in Kendal, Cumbria.