5 Pancake Races in London today
- Nasim Asl
- Feb 28, 2017
- 2 min read
If cooking isn’t quite your strength or you just want to do something different this Shrove Tuesday, look no further. Here’s a range of the wacky races Londoners are holding to celebrate this Pancake Day.
A staple of the cupboard clearing tradition, these races are thought to have started way back in 1445. Legend has it an Olney housewife was too busy making pancakes to remember to go to church (these were simpler times). She ran all the way to church carrying her pan and pancakes. Since then, they’ve become a major part of festivities in the UK.
Leadenhall Market Pancake Race
Get a taste of where the tradition started as you race your way through the 14th century market. This 20m course will test your ability to flip as you sprint and try and win that oh so luxurious bar tab or prosecco. It’s free to enter.
Parliamentary Pancake Race
If you’re more of a watcher, not a doer (and we can’t blame you), drag yourself along to Victoria Tower Gardens and see high flying members of British politics battle it out. It’s busy, it’s fun, and it’s all in the name of charity, Rehab.
This one’s for the southern Londoners. Get yourself down to the Oval Tavern this evening for an inter-pub pancake race. It’s all our favourite things rolled into one. Chances are it’ll be way less touristy than the city centre ones, so win win really. Again, all for charity, and as the poster says - it’ll be silly.
That’s it’s actual title. For the fifth year, people will gather near London Bridge to raise money, cheer, and embarrass themselves in the name of theatre charity London Bubble. It’s a day-time do, so if you’re one of the corporate slaves this fine city depends on, drag yourself out of your shiny skyscrapers and spend your lunch hour having some fun.
The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race
One for the North Londoners now. Brick Lane is set to be transformed at lunch time today as teams of four go head to head in honour of the London Air Ambulance at 12:15 . They provide the pancakes, but it’s BYOFP (bring your own frying pan). There’s a pretty decent prize up for grabs too - an engraved frying pan. Not sure how the time share of that will work, though.
