By Parkdean Resorts on 22/02/2022
Pancake Day is almost upon us! This Tuesday 1st March, the nation is set to scoff 157,151,895 pancakes on the day dedicated to those luscious circles of joy!
Here at Parkdean Resorts we combined pancake sales from our restaurants with a nationwide survey, to find out the country’s favourite pancake topping, and reveal just how many pancakes the average Brit consumes and where in the country the most pancakes are eaten…
What is Pancake Day?
Pancake Day aka Shrove Tuesday always comes before Ash Wednesday, otherwise known as the first day of lent and the beginning of 40 days of fasting. Before lent, it is tradition to gorge on all the fresh and indulgent foods left before the fasting begins including butter, eggs, milk and flour - the ingredients needed for those fluffy pancakes! But fast forward to 2022 and it is now much more common to give up something smaller such as crisps, chocolate, alcohol or social media, but we still make the most of the one day a year when there is no shame in eating as many pancakes as possible. But what is the nation’s favourite topping to adorn their pancakes? Our survey data shows a clear winner.
Brits rank lemon and sugar as the nation's FAVOURITE pancake topping! What’s yours?
With an epic 34% of the vote, the UK stuck to their traditional taste buds and went for lemon and sugar! It’s officially the ultimate British pancake. Sprinkled with a fine layer of sugar and the squeeze of a lemon, you watch the glittering granules dissolve before you roll it up and celebrate Pancake Day in style. So what is the rest of the nation eating? Maple syrup came in second place with 14% of the voters aiming for a sticky sweet topping. Whilst 12% opted for a garnish of strawberries and cream on their pancakes.
Maple Syrup - Scotland
Looking at the favourite pancake toppings within cities there is a landslide victory for lemon and sugar, with the UK looking to eat 53,563,025 of them this pancake day. But where it fails to take over is north of the wall with the Scottish strongholds of Glasgow and Edinburgh favouring maple syrup on their pancakes. But maple syrup doesn’t look like it’s going to be the nation’s favourite any time soon with only 22,360,037 pancakes covered in the stuff estimated to be eaten on March 1st.
FLIP OFF! 157 million pancakes to be consumed across Britain on Pancake Day
| Rank | Region | Pancakes Eaten Per Person (Average) |
| 1 | South East England | 3 |
| 2 | Wales | 3 |
| 3 | Northern Ireland | 3 |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 |
| 5 | Central England | 3 |
| 6 | Northern England | 3 |
| 7 | South West England | 2 |
You read that right! From the survey we conducted, we found out that on Pancake Day, Britain will consume over 24,814,284,220 calories munching their way through 157,151,895 pancakes this Pancake Day. However, this averages at 3 pancakes per person. So it seems long gone are the days of feasting on pancakes before falling into a Pancake Day food coma.
Nuts for Nutella - the future of pancake toppings
Lemon and sugar may currently hold the crown but not for long. Our study has revealed that lemon and sugar was voted the ultimate pancake topping by 25 year olds and above, with 18 - 24 year olds opting for the spreadable goodness that is Nutella. So this begs the question, is Nutella the pancake topping titan of the future?
| Age | Topping |
| 18-24 years old | Nutella |
| 25-34 years old | Lemon and Sugar |
| 35-44 years old | Lemon and Sugar |
| 45-54 years old | Lemon and Sugar |
| 55-64 years old | Lemon and Sugar |
| 65+ years old | Lemon and Sugar |
Do you agree with the nation? Or are you more Nutella than lemon and sugar? Let us know your favourite pancake toppings and share your pancake snaps on our Facebook and Instagram pages!
Methodology
Alongside leading customer research company TLF research we conducted a nationwide survey to find out the UK’s favourite pancakes toppings delving deeper into which cities are eating what, what toppings are popular within age ranges and how many pancakes are to be consumed on pancake day. With 1500 respondents across the UK and restaurant sales data and insight we were able to find out the answers to the UK’s burning question, what is the nation's favourite pancake topping?