Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day that happens before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It always falls 47 days before Easter, so the date changes year to year. The pancake has a very long history and featured in cookbooks as far back as 1439. In the UK, pancake races are an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations, where lots of people, usually in fancy dresses, race down the streets flipping pancakes. The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney in Buckinghamshire.

Here at Fyling Hall, we had pancakes to celebrate the tradition. For those of you who missed it, here’s a lovely pancake recipe: You’ll need 8oz plain flour, 2 large eggs, 1 pint milk, and a pinch of salt. Mix all of the ingredients and whisk well. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan and let it cook until the base of the pancake has browned. Then shake the pan to loosen the pancake and flip the pancake over to brown the other side. Serve immediately and top with anything you like! Common toppings are golden syrup, lemon juice, and sugar. Enjoy!

Sophia Ferrer (Year 8)