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This year’s Shrove Tuesday – or Pancake Day, as it is commonly known in the UK – falls on March 1, and we have plenty of ideas to add some Lyme Bay deliciousness to your pancake fillings. But first a bit of history about the moveable feast of Shrove Tuesday.
Falling the day before Ash Wednesday – the first day of the period of abstention and reflection known as Lent – Shrove Tuesday is observed by Christians through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year’s Holy Week palms and indulging in food that they may give up as their Lenten sacrifice for the upcoming forty days.
Making pancakes was traditionally one way of combining sweet elements with store cupboard essentials such as butter, eggs, and fat as a means of eating up those tempting treats before the dietary prohibitions of Lent got underway and has continued as a popular practice to this day.
Fabulous Fruit Wine fillings
Lemon juice and sugar has long been a favourite sprinkle atop a hot pancake, and while we are not ones to downplay the importance of tradition here at Lyme Bay Winery, may we suggest creating a fruit compote filling with a dash of our award-winning Fruit Wines as a more tempting filling for your pancakes.
Fruit compote is easy to make and tastes even better after a couple of days in the fridge, so you can prepare it ahead of time. A simple mix of fruit poached in wine with added sugar, choose your favourite fruit and Fruit Wine combo – we particularly like it with our Lyme Bay medium-sweet Peach Wine or full-flavoured Plum Wine.
To make your own compote, gently dissolve 65g of sugar in a pan with 150ml water, then bring to a boil and let bubble away for a few minutes. Add 200ml of Fruit Wine and bring back to the boil, before stirring in 200g of your chosen fruit and cooking down on a medium heat to a syrupy mixture. Leave to cool and then chill in the fridge.
Lugger Rum banana cream
As well as being a perfect solo tipple, the full spice profile of our aged Caribbean Lugger Rum with its blend of nutmeg, cloves, orange peel and a hint of vanilla, makes it a brilliant accompaniment to many sweet dishes.
Whip up a generous glug of Lugger Rum with some double cream – of fold into clotted cream if you are feeling particularly decadent. Slice a banana and lightly fry in some butter. Mix the Lugger Rum cream and warm banana slices in a bowl and pile in, or on, your warm pancakes. Top with a sprinkle of blueberries if you like.
Cider Brandy flambé
Not to be outdone by the flashiness of a flaming crepe, you could always set your spirits alight in more ways than one with a fiery splash of Shipwreck Cider Brandy on your pancake stack.
This fabulous 7YO Cider Brandy has been finished in Allier oak casks retrieved from the stricken MSC Napoli which was beached off Branscombe, East Devon in January 2007. The barrels, which were protected from the sea by bibles written in Zulu, were en route to South Africa to age some of their finest wines. Thankfully, their flavour-enhancing properties have not gone to waste, as the Allier oak produces a sophisticated and subtle finish that enhances the flavours in the brandy.
Order drinks online for delivery
You don’t need to wait for Pancake Day to sample the delights of any of these delicious drinks.
The Lyme Bay Winery cellar door is in Shute, near Axminster in Devon, so do pop in for a chat – we’re currently open Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm but check online or give us a call before you travel as our hours change with the seasons. Alternatively, you can always order drinks from us online, get in touch with our friendly team here at the Winery via email at [email protected] or by calling us on 01297 551355 if you’d like to order by phone.
You can also find Lyme Bay on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for updates, offers and giveaways, and we’d love to see what you have done to pep up your pancakes this Shrove Tuesday.
