Pancake Day Races

Tuesday 5 February is Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Pancake Day in the UK. Its the day before the start of Lent, a traditional 40 day period of fasting before Easter. In olden days observant Christians would give up eating things like meat, fish, fats, eggs, and milk during Lent and used up any of those ingredients to make pancakes before it started.

Pancake races have a tradition in England going back to the 1440s when a woman making them raced out of her house still holding a pan after hearing the local church bell call people to confession.

They’ll be some big pancake races that the public can watch or take part in on Tuesday in London. The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race takes place along Dray Walk at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane in the East End starting at 12.30pm. Anyone can enter the race if they’re in a team of four and have brought their own frying pans. Wearing fancy dress is optional and encouraged, there are prizes for the fastest team and the best dressed and free pancakes for all entrants.

The Worshipful Company of Poulters of London stage a series of pancake races between teams from the livery companies of the Guildhall starting at 11am in the Guildhall yard on Gresham street in the City of London. Nearest Tubes are St Paul’s and Bank. Map

All Hallows Great Pancake Race All Hallows Church near the Tower of London has a traditional pancake race open to teams of four, costing £20 per team with the proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Races start around 1pm and a registration form is available online. Map