WHERE ARE THE PANCAKES? was Patricia’s obsession when she settled in London. In September 2016, a railway arch in Borough became the answer.
A pop-up on the Regents Canal in Hackney. Griddles way too small. A queue that went further than we could see. We ran out of batter long before we ran out of people who wanted pancakes. It was the best possible start. A year later, Where The Pancakes Are opened properly — in a railway arch between Borough Market and Tate Modern, with the Shard visible overhead and the Thames a short walk away. We’ve been bringing people together around pancakes ever since. I was raised in the Netherlands by a fishmonger mother and a father who spent every Saturday cooking something extraordinary. Fresh, seasonal, unhurried. The soaring highlight of childhood was our family outing to a local pancake restaurant — a dark, buzzing place where the passionate owner baked large, steaming Dutch pancakes with aged gouda and bacon, or apples and raisins. People travelled from miles away for a meal and a cold glass of lager. It’s still around today. Years later, carving out a career in California, there was nothing more reassuring after long days than a quiet booth, a plate stacked with warming pancakes, and a waitress refilling my mug of coffee. Then London, a family, a school gate where parents were divided by whatever difference there was between them whilst our children made no distinctions at all. I started cooking clubs. Food became the bond that changed our relationships. And the experience changed me. After visiting a fading pancake restaurant on the Kings Road, I made a decision. Connecting food and people would be my future. Pancakes would take me there. Our buttermilk batter is mixed and steeped for 8 hours every morning. Everything on the menu is made from scratch. No shortcuts. We think you can taste the difference. Our 3-in-1 batter is dairy-free, vegan and without gluten — made with organic rice and buckwheat flour, soy milk and chickpea water. Because no one should miss out on pancakes. We work with people who really care. Regenerative organic flours from Shipton Mill. High-welfare meats from Swaledale in North Yorkshire. Cornish eggs from St Ewe. Pure maple syrup from Quebec.Shrove Tuesday, 2015
Patricia
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