Pancake Day – a recipe for some Winter fun

We love pancakes here at Larkfleet Homes. That's why we're looking forward to Pancake Day next week.

Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, is on 13 February this year. Traditionally, it is the last day of feasting before the fasting of Lent (what will you be giving up?) begins on Ash Wednesday.


It’s time to finish off all the rich foods in the house and put on some weight before Lent. That’s why the French call it Mardi Gras – Fat Tuesday.

The name Shrove Tuesday stems from old English traditions where Christians would go to Confession to be absolved of their sins – or ‘shriven’. A bell – the Shriving Bell – would be rung – to call the people to Confession.

There are a lot of traditions surrounding the day. As well as making and eating delicious pancakes, communities up and down the UK will be holding Pancake Day races. It’s an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down streets tossing pancakes. The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first, carrying a frying pan with a cooked pancake in it and flipping the pancake as you run.

The most famous and probably first pancake race takes place at Olney in Buckinghamshire where, according to tradition, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan.

Another, and much rougher tradition, is the playing of Shrovetide or mob football played up and down the highways, fields and footpaths between pubs or villages. The tradition began in the 12th century and is still played today in Cornwall, County Durham, Derbyshire, Northumberland and Warwickshire.

We eat pancakes because the basic ingredients of pancakes have religious significance. Eggs symbolise creation, flour is the staff of life, milk symbolises purity, while salt signifies wholesomeness.

How to make the perfect pancake:
BBC Food has a quick and easy recipe for pancakes.

Usually, pancakes are served with lemon and sugar. The fun starts when you add your favourite fillings.

According to a BBC Top 10 our favourite pancake filling is banana, chocolate and peanut butter. Another favourite is blueberries with maple syrup. There are all sorts of other things you can use to top you pancakes, from sweet to savoury.

Whatever you choose, have fun and enjoy your pancakes!