Hitchin: Pancake Festival is huge hit as organisers hail community support.

Today, Tuesday (March 1) is officially Pancake Day, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday, the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

Hitchin hosted its very own successful Pancake Festival at the weekend. Our town's annual pancake event returned after missing a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event, held in Market Place on Saturday, made a welcome reappearance thanks to Hitchin Priory Rotary Club.

A large number of local punters visited the square to enjoy mouth-watering freshly-cooked pancakes, bacon rolls, mulled wine, hot chocolate. Live music also played throughout the day with all proceeds going to local charities.

Nub News attended Saturday's event and spoke with Hitchin Rotary club's president elect, Alan Madin.

"It's a great tradition," Mr Madin said, adding: "We've celebrated Pancake Day in Hitchin for many years. We used to do a pancake race but with Covid disrupting plans we thought we'd do a more food-oriented event.

"It's proved to be a very popular event. People have been very generous. Whether they've been queuing for pancakes or mulled wine, many have said keep the change. I've seen people buy something for £2.50, pay with a five and say: 'Keep the change'.

"It's so typical in showing how generous people in Hitchin are.

"We were blessed with the weather and it's fair to say we've sold hundreds of pancakes."

Rotary are embedded in the town with three active clubs, all of them undertaking different but complementary fundraising events and activities which complement each other - while helping local charities.

Such good work was underlined by Saturday's pancake event which saw volunteers arrive in the square at 830am to help put the gazebos up and comply with all the health and safety regulations.

Alan added: "Thank you to the Hitchin public for supporting the day.

"I also have to say, we've got wonderful volunteers. What I'd say as well is that you do get a lot out of being part of a day such as this.

"It's a very sociable day and we've had plenty of discussions about about what Rotary do and the charitable work we do."

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Did you know: Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins).