Snick, snack, the pan’s hot,
We’re come a shroving
Strike while the iron’s hot –
Something’s better than nothing.
Flour’s cheap and lard’s dear
And that’s why we come a shroving here …
(Rhyme from Drayton near Abingdon quoted in May Day to Mummers – Folklore and customs in Oxfordshire.)
Children no longer beg their neighbours for ingredients for pancakes. To help us prepare for Pancake Day, the supermarkets in Abingdon each had a little display of a ready made pancake mix – massively reduced , together with JIF Lemons and maple syrup, and even eggs and flour in some places.
I probably did not follow the instructions properly with the pancake mix, as I ended up with some pale sloppy pancakes that stuck to the pan. After the third attempt I gave up.
But we do still have the basics: an egg, 3 oz (75g) flour, 5 fl oz (150ml) of milk and a pinch of salt.
That worked so much better, and came in under half the price of the pancake mix.