Alright, folks, it’s time to get flipping serious. Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, has arrived, and we need topping tips for when we tuck in tonight! Here’s the question sticking around like a burnt pancake in a non-oiled pan:
What’s YOUR favourite Pancake Day topping?
To start, we’ve got a list of the UK’s Top 10 Toppings for 2023. See if your tastes stack up with the nation’s!
10 – Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spread (5%)
9 – Peanut Butter & Banana (6%)
8 – Cheese & Ham (6%)
7 – Blueberries & Syrup (10%)
6 – Chocolate spread & Marshmallows (10%)
5 – Bacon & Syrup (11%)
4 – Banana & Syrup (14%)
3 – Chocolate Spread & Banana (20%)
2 – Chocolate Spread & Strawberries (23%)
1 – Lemon & Sugar (61%!!!)
Poll by Whole Earth and Perspectus
Wow, the traditional Lemon & Sugar has absolutely dominated. Whether you think that’s a UK classic for a reason, or you think that’s the boring ‘Vanilla’ / ‘Ready Salted’ of the pancake world – there’s room in the kitchen for everyone!
There’s definitely some fun flavours missing though…
More Tasty Toppings you MUST try
Cheese & Caramelised Onion. Savoury & sweet, the sophisticated salted caramel of toppings.
Toffee Sauce, Banana & Cream. Long Live Banofee, the sticky supreme.
Cherry Jam & Almonds. No cherry love on the UK list?! It’s a staple of desserts.
Chocolate, Fudge & Orange. A bit of zest to break through the choc indulgence.
Shrove-spiration from Around the World!
Shrove Tuesday is a Christian celebration to empty food cupboards before fasting for Lent. It takes many different forms beyond the UK Pancake Day.
- Denmark ‘Fastelavn’ involves breaking a barrel with a cat picture on it to chase away evil spirits, an old tradition that once involved hitting barrels with REAL ‘evil’ cats in…
- Iceland, Finland & Estonia celebrate with Pea Soup
- Spain ‘Día de la Tortilla’ is Omelette Day
- Canada Pancakes have a hidden coin in the mix, meaning good fortune to whoever gets it
- Louisiana, USA ‘Mardi Gras’, or Fat Tuesday, has garish King Cakes hiding a plastic baby Jesus – the slice with him in has to bring the cake next year
- Lithuania ‘Uzgavenes’ Festival, or Fasting Festival, is for pranks and superstitions such as wearing masks to scare off Winter and dressing up as goats, devils or witches
- Poland ‘Tlusty czwartek’, or ‘Fat Thursday’, is for munching Paczki, a doughnut-like pastry with a hint of orange zest
Let’s serve up
So what’re you waiting for, Birmingham? Grab a pan and start on your favourite. Whatever celebrates who you are and what you love will always be the #1 choice.