FLIPPIN' HECK!
Traditional Pancake Day ritual at risk of dying out after major change to Brits’ cooking habits
Scroll down to read why people are ditching the great British tradition
FLIPPING pancakes is at risk of dying out as more people are making them in air fryers.
The Shrove Tuesday ritual could be tossed into the history books because of popular kitchen gadgets.
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For the first time, more than half of pancake makers plan to ditch their traditional frying pans tomorrow and use their air fryers instead.
Gen Z adults — 28 and under — are leading the way, with more than two-thirds avoiding the culinary acrobatics by using the countertop gizmos.
They claim it is cheaper, quicker and avoids any mid-air disasters ending with their pancakes flopped on the floor.
It also allows them to make batches — pancakes can be stacked in an air fryer by using baking paper layers — rather than one at a time.
read more on pancake day
Even a third of Baby Boomers — aged 55 to 70 — who popularised the great British tradition, confess they will not be flipping any this year.
Research shows two in ten believe pancake flipping is now a dying art — and a third reckon they could not do it if their lives depended on it.
Matthew Worsley, head chef at Iceland Foods, which polled 2,000 people, said: “Air fryers are transforming the way we cook, and now they’re even reshaping Pancake Day.
“With the convenience of cooking multiple pancakes at once, with no flipping, it is no wonder people are making the switch.
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“But let’s honour the wobbly first tries, dramatic mid-air disasters and golden-brown victories.”
Rise of the air fryer
Air fryers have maintained their spot the most popular kitchen gadget in the UK last year.
Annual sales figures from Lakeland show sales of air fryers were up 1,175% on last year – when they were already soaring in popularity – as households continue their efforts to save energy on standard ovens.
The retailer said: “In previous years, their popularity could be attributed to consumers seeking healthier cooking options and fast cooking times.
“However, with the cost-of-living crisis continuing, air fryers have a renewed appeal as an efficient alternative to oven cooking.”
The only other products that “shaped the year” were heated airers – with sales up 51% – and heated textiles, such as heated throws and ponchos, Lakeland said, again as households brought in gadgets as an alternative to expensive dryers and central and electric heaters.
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