Pancake races

Tomorrow is pancake day. Up and down the country people will be holding pancake races. To find out more about the origins of pancake day including how to make pancakes check out last Friday’s post. But what is a pancake race?

A pancake race is a running race where the runners have to carry a frying pan and flip a pancake while running. The most famous race is in Olney in Buckinghamshire but there are races all over the country.

So where did it come from? The story is that in the 1400s a woman was busy cooking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday when she heard the church bells ring to say it was time for church. She ran from her house to the church with her frying pan and pancake.

Today even politicians get involved with the annual Parliamentary Pancake Race in aid of the charity Rehab. Why not give it a go yourself?