Get them while they’re hot because some of these won’t be around for long
If anyone wants reminding why we choose a Tuesday in late February/early March to stuff our faces with pancakes every year, here’s why:
Shrove Tuesday comes before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the fasting period of Lent, a forty day period leading up to Easter, which those following a Christian religion use as a period of reflection and self-examination (‘shrove’ comes from ‘shrive’ which means to ‘absolve.’)
Pancakes may just be simple flat discs of cooked batter, but with a bit of imagination, they can be utterly wonderful
So basically the idea is to indulge in the kind of food you’re going to give up before a stretch of ritual fasting. In this day and age where everything from avocados to za’atar can be bought easily at corner shops, it seems strange to consider flour, eggs and milk as luxury items. But obviously this makes more sense if you’re planning to give up the likes of Nutella, toffee sauce, whipped cream, ice cream, toasted nuts, chocolate flakes, maple syrup, bacon etc.
Pancakes may just be simple flat discs of cooked batter, but with a bit of imagination, they can be utterly wonderful and culinary cultures from all over the world have a sweet or savoury version; from elegant French crepes flambéed tableside, to giant wafer thin and crispy dosas stuffed with spicy potato curry, or stacks of fluffy American pancakes drizzled with syrup.
Here are a few places in town doing some very special pancake specials:
All day pancakes at CULTUREPLEX
This one day only treat will be available all morning, afternoon or evening on Tuesday 25 Feb 2020. For £5 guests can pop in for a stack of three fluffy delicious pancakes with your choice of any toppings.
With a comprehensive list of possible combinations, you get free rein to decide how many, or in fact if you’d like, all of them all together, this Pancake Day at Cultureplex with several cherries on top.
CULTUREPLEX, Ducie Street Warehouse, Manchester, M1 2TP
One off pancake special at Trove
Trove Foods (the people behind Erst) will be offering a pancake special for tomorrow only at both the Levenshulme and Ancoats cafés. They’ll be cooking up caramelised whey pancakes with seasonal blood orange, honeycomb and thyme.
The pancakes are £6 and both cafes are open from 8:30am - 5pm (kitchen closes at 4pm)
Trove Levenshulme, 1032 Stockport Road, M19 3WX
Trove Ancoats, 5 Murray Street, M4 6HS
Guilt-free pancakes at Remedy Kitchen
If you’re one of the few that has managed to stick to the new year, new you resolutions thus far, you’re not going to want to ruin it now with a naughty pile of syrup soaked pancakes. So if you still want to mark Pancake Day but don’t want to wake up on Ash Wednesday with a guilty conscience, head down to Remedy Kitchen (formerly 3 Squared Cafe) for one of their bestselling Breakfast Pancakes with home-made Nutella, banana, coconut yoghurt, toasted coconut, winter compote, fresh berries and lemon balm – gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free and guilt free. (£9.00)
Remedy Kitchen, Unit 19, Manchester Royal Exchange Arcade, M2 7EA
Flippin’ Fab challenge at Cosy Club
Running from 9am till 10pm on Tuesday 25th February, Cosy Club is inviting you to create your very own pancake stack and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #FlippinFab.
With each buttermilk pancake costing just £1.25 each, you can stack them as high as you like using as many toppings as you can handle, including chocolate sauce, strawberries and whipped cream at 50p each, or more extravagant toppings, like smoked streaky bacon or vanilla ice cream for £1. Don’t forget to tag @the_cosyclub when sharing your #FlippinFab creations on Instagram! Book here.
Cosy Club, Corn Exchange, 37 Hanging Ditch, Manchester, M4 3TR
All you can eat pancakes at Wilson’s Social
The popular Northern Quarter restaurant will be offering all you can eat, giant pancake stacks starting at just £4, with every additional two pancakes costing just £1 extra. Smother your stacks in blueberry compote and frosting or get sweet and savoury with popcorn chicken and bacon, drizzled in maple syrup. Enjoy from breakfast until closing time either on your own or with a group of friends all week between Monday 24th Feb and Sunday 1st March.
Wilson’s Social, 42-44 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE
Dosa delights at Bundobust
To celebrate Pancake Day, Bundobust have created a dessert featuring the iconic Indian street food pancake, the dosa. You can get a double dosa dessert pancakes with their mango and rose dosa; two pancakes made from rice flour (making them suitable for a gluten free diet) - one flavoured with mango and one with rose - served with shrikand, a traditional hung yoghurt sweetened and flavoured with cardamom, and topped with mango ras, pistachio, and fresh pomegranate. These will be available in all Bundobust restaurants all week for £5.
Bundobust Manchester, 61 Piccadilly, M1 2AG
Pisco and Pancakes at Peru Perdu
All day South American concept, Peru Perdu, The Cotton Factory residency restaurant, will host a special Pancake Day celebration of a Peruvian persuasion for one day only on Tuesday 25th February.
Famed for its Pisco Sours, a traditional Peruvian cocktail, Peru Perdu will pair its signature drink with sweet fluffy pancakes filled with dulce de leche, a sweet gooey caramel sauce, for £10, from 12pm.
Peru Perdu at The Cotton Factory, 74 Princess St, Manchester, M1 6JD
Push for Pancakes at Albert’s Schloss
Indulge Alpine style as this Bavarian beer haus switch their ‘push for Prosecco’ buttons for ‘push for pancakes’ buttons instead for one day only. Whether your preference is for sweet or savoury, they’ve got you covered. Chocolate lovers are going to want to get in on their Haus special – warm fresh crepes filled with a luxurious Haus-made chocolate praline sauce, preserved blood orange slices, a dusting of icing sugar and vanilla ice cream.
But if a savoury treat takes your fancy, choose from a Black Forest ham and cheese crêpe filled with cured ham, wild mushrooms, or a roast sweet potato and baby spinach crêpe filled with red pepper - both smothered with Alpine cheese sauce. Book here.
Alberts Schloss, 27 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR
Breakfast pancakes at San Carlo Cicchetti
OK we’re cheating a bit here - pancakes are actually available all year round at San Carlo Cicchetti. But when they look and taste this good, it seemed sacrilege not include them. Freshly made onsite, drizzled with maple syrup and loaded with fresh strawberries, they’re a lesson in simplicity - much like San Carlo itself. Can’t make Shrove Tuesday? You can pop in and enjoy another day instead.
San Carlo Cicchetti, 98-116 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2GQ
Get your fill at Bill's
Bill’s Restaurant and Bar is celebrating with a new pancake menu that will be available from 21 February – 1 March across all of their restaurants, including the Spinningfields branch.
Bill’s have created their own haven for those looking to enjoy a pancake or two without making a mess in their own kitchen. Inspired by their existing range of pancakes, the Pancake Day specials menu covers savoury variations (£8.95-£9.95) such as sweetcorn pancakes, poached eggs, feta and avocado with baby spinach, red pepper dressing, coriander and chilli; and roast tomato and black olive vegan pancakes with spinach and purple basil pesto.
There is also the classic lemon and sugar (with a vegan option available), or more indulgent options of caramelised banana and salted caramel ice cream with warm chocolate sauce and toasted almonds and frozen berries and white chocolate sauce (£5.95).
Children’s options include banana and berries pancakes with Bill’s pancake syrup or ice cream and chocolate sauce pancakes with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce (£3.50).
If that wasn’t enough Bill’s will also be running an online competition where participants can win free pancakes FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.
Bill's Spinningfields, 3 Hardman's Square M3 3EB
