Pubs sweeten the deal for Pancake Day

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Batter be good: Pubs capitalise on Shrove Tuesday (Getty/Eleganza)

Quizzes, eating challenges and charity events are just a few ways pubs are celebrating Pancake Day today (Tuesday 21 February).

This comes after research showed guests were more likely to dine out for experience-driven occasions as the cost-of-living crisis bites. 

Dodo pubco’s site, the Part and Parcel. are celebrating pancake day with a stack of tasty buttermilk pancakes on offer in the evening. Guests can choose from crispy bacon & maple syrup, lemon & sugar or hot Nutella chocolate sauce at the pub in Witney, Oxfordshire.  

You can tuck into pancakes while taking part in the evening quiz. “Some say it’s better than Christmas,” said the site.  

Microbrewery Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, east London, is also hosting a quiz this evening, and this time it’s pancake themed. The event will test general knowledge and niche obsessions and will be packed full of pancake activities and tasks. 

Surrey-based operator Baron’s pub company is celebrating shrove Tuesday with the option of three pancake specials to chose from. The flavours include lemon & sugar, vanilla ice cream & hot chocolate sauce and Biscoff & butterscotch ice cream, with pancakes priced at around £6.50 each. 

Sweet tooth

Customers can also enjoy 33% off their food bill if they download the company’s winter warmer voucher online. This is being rolled out at Baron’s sites, and the Inn at West End, Woking will also host a quiz night with prizes up for grabs. 

It’s Pancake Week at 24-hour site the Polo Bar in Bishopsgate, central London,  

The bar has also launched a series of pancake specials including Viennetta, sticky toffee pudding & popcorn, black forest gateau and English breakfasts stacks alongside some classic options. 

Guests have also been battling to compete in the pancake challenge across the week, with the quickest person to eat a £35 pancake stack in with a chance to win £200 and other prizes.  

In other news, the Cowper Arms, Digswell, Hertfordshire will be serving £1 pancakes where guests can build toppings from the pancake bar.  

Giving back

Cowper Arms staff member Dan Vine said the tradition was kickstarted by Father Rob from the local church, but as it grew busier it needed more space and a bigger kitchen to run it, so the pub had hosted it since 2019. 

All the money raised is given to local parish schools, so school kids, locals and Brownies & Scouts groups drop money in the pot for a pancake while they grab a drink. 

There will also be a series of pancake-themed dishes on offer, such as mushroom soup with strips of pancake and fresh baked baguette, and chicken, leeks & ham pancakes. 

Last year, the pub served up more than 600 pancakes. “By the time Lent starts I’m happy not to look at another tub of Nutella or jam until Easter,” said Vine, “but it’s a great day every year.  

“It’s one of the few days of the year, along with Christmas Eve and Mother’s Day, that you get all the village passing through the pub on the same day.”