A GUIDE TO PANCAKE DAY
WHAT IS PANCAKE DAY?
Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday is the name by which Shrove Tuesday is also known in Britain and Ireland, and Australia.
WHEN IS PANCAKE DAY?
Pancake Day is celebrated every year at 'My Old Dutch'.
WHERE CAN I CELEBRATE PANCAKE DAY?
Pancake Day is celebrated every year in all 'My Old Dutch' Restaurants, which are in Holborn and Chelsea.
[Unfortunately, due to high demand - bookings are not taken in the restaurants. Queues will form outside the restaurants at peak times.]
[Unfortunately, due to high demand - bookings are not taken in the restaurants. Queues will form outside the restaurants at peak times.]
PANCAKE DAY: PAST
1ST CENTURY AD
Romans eat sweet and savoury dishes of a meal called Alita Dolcia (Another Sweet) made from milk, flour, eggs and spices.
15TH CENTURY
All across Europe meals recognisable as different forms of pancake are created by adding ingredients such as wheat, flour, buckwheat, or cornmeal to the ancient ingredients.
1683
An early guide for creating specifically Dutch pancakes appears in De Verstandige Kock (The Sensible Cook) cookery book. Recipes provided for 'common pancakes' and 'the best kind of pancake' which include Sugar, Cloves, Cinnamon, Mace, and Nutmeg.
18TH CENTURY
The traditional wedding breakfast in Friesland is pannenkoek with milk and honey, whilst in rural areas it is eaten to celebrate Kerstavond (Christmas Eve) and the new harvest.
PANCAKE DAY: PRESENT
PANCAKE RACES
The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first whilst flipping a pancake in a frying pan a pre-decided number of times. The skill lies not so much in the running of the race but in flipping and catching the pancake, which must be intact when the finishing line is reached.
ANNUAL PANCAKE GREASE
At the famous Westminster School in London, the annual Pancake Grease is held. A verger from Westminster Abbey leads a procession of eager boys into the playground where the school cook tosses a huge pancake over a five-metre high bar. The boys then race to grab a portion of the pancake and the one who ends up with the largest piece receives a cash bonus from the Dean.
TOSSING PANCAKES
The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney. 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.
The Olney pancake race is now world famous. Competitors have to be local housewives and they must wear an apron and a hat or scarf.
Each contestant has a frying pan containing a hot, cooking pancake. She must toss it three times during the race that starts at the market square at 11.55 am. The first woman to complete the winding 375-metre course (the record is 63 seconds set in 1967) and arrive at the church, serve her pancake to the bell ringer, and be kissed by him, is the winner. She also receives a prayer book from the vicar.
The Olney pancake race is now world famous. Competitors have to be local housewives and they must wear an apron and a hat or scarf.
Each contestant has a frying pan containing a hot, cooking pancake. She must toss it three times during the race that starts at the market square at 11.55 am. The first woman to complete the winding 375-metre course (the record is 63 seconds set in 1967) and arrive at the church, serve her pancake to the bell ringer, and be kissed by him, is the winner. She also receives a prayer book from the vicar.