By Andrea Drobna

Thick or thin, sweet or savoury, pancakes have been a staple breakfast item in households across the UK since the dawn of time. Traditionally, pancake day started as a Christian tradition, where people had a week to use up the remainder of their ÔÇÿedible temptationsÔÇÖ before the start of lent. On Shrove Tuesday, all the eggs, butter and fat were to be used up, and one of the easiest ways to use these ingredients was to turn them into pancakes. Although pancake day has been a British tradition since the start of the 16th century, the traditional recipe of eggs, butter and fat has been tweaked quite a bit, with restaurants finding new and exciting ways to spice up their pancake recipes. This year, I had the opportunity to attend the ÔÇÿpimp your pancakesÔÇÖ event at the Flora Pub in Cardiff. The event inspired customers to create their own unique pancake stacks, providing a multitude of toppings and all you can eat pancakes over a period of two hours. I decided to take Mike OÔÇÖBrien, Quench’s tech editor along to the event, as I knew that he would be an excellent judge of pancake structure and taste. We were both very eager to attend the event and try as many pancake combinations as we could.

Despite living in Cardiff for two years, Mike and I had yet to try out the Flora pub. I had heard a lot of praise for the place from my other friends, and I can say that it lived up to my expectations. Upon walking in I immediately felt welcome, and with the cozy interior and unique design, it seemed like the perfect place to celebrate pancake day. After meeting the staff and receiving our first batch of pancakes, it was time to see all the toppings, and build our own unique pancake creations. The topping table had a plethora of chocolate spread, lemon and syrup to deck the base of your pancakes, as well all the berries and bananas to add a fruity taste. For the cherry on top, there was whipped cream and sprinkles, with the Flora knowing that this would bring out the inner child in everyone. I mean, who would be able to resist sprinkles?

Overall, my experience at the Flora was wonderful. Mike and I both managed to eat about five pancakes each and try any combination that our heart desired. My personal favourite was Nutella, strawberries, bananas and sprinkles. The staff were also very attentive, always topping up our plate of pancakes whenever we ran out. All the other customers also had smiles on their faces the entire time, and you could tell that everyone was happy to be there for pancake day. The only criticism I had of the event was that they didnÔÇÖt provide any savoury options, ruling out an audience that prefers salty over sweet. Although many associate pancakes with being sweet, I think that audiences would be pleasantly surprised to have a savoury option as well, creating an overall unique and different pancake day experience.
Once again, I would like to say thank you to The Flora for having us. I will be sure to visit the pub for more food and drinks very soon!

 

P.S-There are two pictures of pancakes – guess which one mine is, and which one is MikeÔÇÖs.