Get your spatulas ready – Shrove Tuesday (or Pancake Day) flips onto our calendars this week, Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
For those who observe the start of Lent, it marks the final day of enjoying richer ingredients before the 40-day period of reflection leading up to Easter begins. For the rest of us? It’s a delicious excuse to whisk, swirl and stack with joyful abandon.
Read more: Pancake toppings to flip for this Shrove Tuesday
The tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday has been observed in Britain since around the 15th century. The day falls just before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, when households would traditionally use up indulgent pantry staples – eggs, milk and sugar – that wouldn’t be eaten during the weeks of abstinence. The word “shrove” itself comes from the old practice of being “shriven”, or confessing sins ahead of Lent. A little history lesson with your lemon and sugar? We love to see it.
Across the world, similar celebrations take place – from the revelry of Mardi Gras in France to fluffy stacks in American kitchens – but at its heart, Pancake Day remains a humble, homespun ritual rooted in making the most of what’s on hand.
Whether you favour delicate, lacy crêpes folded with citrus and a dusting of sugar, or prefer thick, golden rounds dripping in syrup, our pancake recipe round-up has something for every kind of flipper. Sweet, savoury, classic and a little unexpected – because if there’s one day to play with your food, it’s this one.
And no, we didn’t forget about our furry friends. While you’re flipping for the family, why not treat your four-legged taste testers to their own stack?
Our pooch-friendly pancake recipes are made with simple, dog-safe ingredients (think no sugar, no chocolate, and definitely no xylitol), so they can join in on the fun too. Because at Food&Home, we believe celebrations are best shared – paws and all.
