Pancake Day ideas
You can make Pancake Day any day of the week! Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday was a time for using up eggs, butter and sugar from the larder, to mark the beginning of the Lent fast. Pancakes seemed like the perfect recipe, and so the Pancake Day tradition was born. Pancake Day 2013 falls on 12 February, but don't wait until then to get flipping with our handy guide.
Top it off
A pancake without a topping is only half the story. Lemon juice and sugar is a classic choice, but if you fancy something different, try maple syrup, honey, chocolate spread, chocolate sauce, fresh fruit - or even a savoury option like spinach and ricotta. The possibilities are almost endless.
Make our classic Sweet Pancake recipe
Short cuts
No time to cook? Grab a pack of ready-made pancakes and customise them with your own toppings. Whether you prefer French-style crêpes or Scotch pancakes, you can find the perfect ready-to-eat version at Sainsbury's.
A world of pancakes
The pancake is about as international as you can get, so this Pancake Day, why not adopt a global approach and experiment with some different ideas from around the world. Try a French-style crêpe, Russian blinis an Asian-style banana pancakes or that classic Chinese dish - crispy duck pancakes. Enjoy!
Winning idea
Pancake Day was traditionally a time for fun, as well as feasting, before Lent.
No-one’s quite sure how the pancake race came about, but legend has it that back in 1445 a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was busy cooking pancakes when she heard the church bells ringing. In her haste to get to the service, she ran out of the house still holding the frying pan!
Pancake races are held around the country, but the main event is still staged every year by the good women of Olney.