Time to make pancakes!

Tomorrow is pancake day again, and if you're a resident of Olney, it's a day you're not allowed to forget! The world famous pancake race takes place tomorrow at 11.55am (to be precise!) and is a tradition which has stood the test of time, having started back in 1445. It has grown in fame and popularity, and in recent years has been featured on a number of television shows, including Blue Peter and itv news.

It's one of the biggest days of the Olney calendar, where residents and visitors line the streets to watch the race take place. It's also, perhaps more importantly if you're not from the Olney area, a chance to make and eat some pancakes! The traditional lemon and sugar pancakes always go down a treat, but if you're looking to try something a little bit different this year, we've got a few ideas for you.

Firstly, if you're at the Olney event, you might not need to worry about making you own, as there will be pancakes available from as early as 9am. If you are making them for yourselves, take a look at this month's issue of the Phonebox Magazine (featured below), where we gave you a few ideas of how to make your pancakes a little bit different, including gluten-free and savoury pancakes.

We've come up with a few other ideas of some interesting flavours... why not give them a try or share some of your own ideas!

• Coconut and raspberry 
• Cheese and bacon
• Potatoes, lentil and spinach
• Apricot
• Cinnamon with maple syrup 
• Cheese and ham

Get creative and enjoy a great Shrove Tuesday!

1 month 'till the Pancake Race!

The countdown is on to one of the biggest and best events of the Olney calendar; the Olney pancake race. Each year it attracts hundreds of spectators, as well as participants, and this year, with pancake day falling in half term, the number of spectators is sure to be bigger than ever.

Each year on Shrove Tuesday, the ladies of Olney pick up their frying pans and aprons and race down the High Street, tossing a pancake as they go. Tradition states that the first race was run back in 1445, and then revived again in 1948. The story that a flustered housewife heard the church bells and realised she was late for the service, so ran from her house with her frying pan and pancake still in her hand, is supposedly how the race began, and so today the ladies race on the chime of the Shriving bell from the church at exactly 11.55am.

It's always great fun for all, with the children's races starting off the event with a number of pancake races, from the little ones up to secondary school aged children, set off by the special guests of the event. TV chef Lesley Waters will be on hand in the Market Place doing some cooking demonstrations and being on hand to mingle with the crowds and answer any food or cooking questions you might have.

Last year the race was live on itv's daybreak, but if you've somehow missed the pancake race up until now, why not make this the year you experience it for the first time. It's even an international event, which links with the pancake race in Liberal, USA, the winner with the best time between the two will be crowned the International Pancake Race winner of 2015.

The pancake race is a great event for the town, which really brings people together and gives a chance to celebrate a day which often just gets passed by.

How are you recovering after your pancake feast last night?! We hope you managed to cook up a storm! Maybe you ate a few too many and now fancy something a little bit more healthy? Why not try making some soup from scratch to counteract any unhealthiness you consumed yesterday? The varieties of soup you can possibly make are simply limitless, from chickpea to chicken to thai pumpkin soup to the old classic tomato soup. Have a look over on the good food website for some healthy soup ideas, they're all pretty quick and easy, plus there'll be no need for feeling guilty about the pancakes yesterday- win win!

Being Ash Wednesday today, the start of Lent, if you're planning on giving up anything unhealthy etc. then making soup could have yet another positive for you! Or maybe you're on a delayed new years resolution… don't worry, there's still time- we're only just 3 months in!

Happy Pancake Day!

It's that time of year again- the day where it's OK eat as many pancakes as we can manage! Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, initially came about as a way of using up all of the sweet and fatty foods before people had to give them up for Lent. Today, while some people do still give up foods for Lent, pancake day has become more of a tradition than anything else, and you can as ever expect to find your corner shop lacking in pancake mix on this day of the year!

Here in Olney, pancake day is that little bit more special, with the world-famous pancake race taking place on the high street. This is said to be the first ever pancake race, and has been going since 1445, when an Olney lady apparently heard the bells ringing for church while she was in the middle of making pancakes. She rushed out of the house with her frying pan and wearing her apron, ran down the street to the church. Thus began the tradition which has been continued to this day, with the pancake race, where contestants must wear and apron and scarf, and carry a frying pan and pancake. They have to toss their pancake at the start, once while running and at the end of the race, and run 415 yards to the finish line.

This year the question is whether the winner of the last two races, Devon Byrne, will win for a third time in a row. If so, she would be making a record for the first person to win three times in a row, as well as being the daughter of a three-time winner. Last year, she set a race record of 56 seconds, which also beat the then world record, held by the ladies of Liberal, Kansas in the transatlantic rivalry which takes place each year. This year all eyes will be on the racers to see if anyone can beat the time!

Get yourself down to Olney to see their most famous event of the year, and get into the spirit of pancake day! The race starts at 11.45am, and children's races begin at 10.30am.
Have a fun pancake day- try not to get them stuck to the ceiling while you're tossing them!

Sarah

What's next?!...

Post Valentines day, what’s the next occasion our shops will be trying to sell us? Easter eggs will be in the stores within the next few days, if not already, and then there’s Mothers day, for which cards have already been seen on the shelves. They’re obviously nice things to be advertising, but why oh why do they feel the need to pounce on us so early?! It feels like the day of one event, the next is being advertised. It's like the classic 'back to school' adverts, which are always up in the shops before the school holidays have even started, making all children seeing it feel like their holiday is over before it's even begun!

Olney Pancake Race

We're counting down to the big event in March, the Olney Pancake race. One month to go as of yesterday, excitement is building as advertising gets out and people start practicing for the big race… I assume they'll be practicing anyway, with such great prizes on offer! Prizes this year range from Six Nations rugby tickets, to football tickets and vouchers. With such a limited number of spaces available, 25 to be precise, we're guessing most of them have already been snatched up by the Olney ladies wanting to compete and catch a moment of fame. The highly famous event attracts numerous reporters and onlookers every year, and so this year is set to be no different. We're looking forward to it!

Find out more here