Liverpool's top-flipping pancake chef crowned

2 hours ago

Marc GaierLiverpool

News image — Lee Johnson, 39, has been crowned Liverpool's top pancake flipper

BBC Lee Johnson had brown hair and a brown beard. He is wearing a chef hat and a blue t-shirt which says Tempest on Tithebarn in orange writing. He is holding a frying pan and a silver pan. — Lee Johnson, 39, has been crowned Liverpool's top pancake flipper

Liverpool's annual pancake race has taken place at the city's parish church gardens with Lee Johnson crowned best flipping pancake chef in the city.

Each year chef's from across the city compete to mark Shrove Tuesday, the day before the start of the Christian festival of Lent.

Johnson, 39, who works at Tempest on Tithebarn, said after taking second place last year he was determined to win.

"I knew it was going to go one way or the other today," he said.

"I was either going to come first or last."

A chef dressed in a white shirt with a black apron flips a pancake ahead of a second chef in a white shirt and a grey apron. — Chefs from across the city take part in the annual Shrove Tuesday race

The annual race was first held over 40 years ago and sees chefs run laps around the gardens of Liverpool Parish Church.

Competitors are tasked with running three circuits around the church grounds, stopping at set points to add ingredients and pause at flipping stations.

This year, chefs from the Hilton Hotel, Pen Factory, Crowne Plaza, Tempest, Nova Scotia, Titanic Hotel, Atlantic Tower Hotel, Fazenda, The Municipal and Ma Boyle's took part.

Rector of Liverpool Father Philip Anderson is stood smiling at the camera with a copper frying pan as he presents it to Lee Johnson — Johnson was presented with the engraved copper frying pan by Rector of Liverpool Father Philip Anderson

"It's harder than you think," he said.

"Its very challenging - the stop, start, stop, start, it strains on your legs."

He said the key to his winning formula was to carefully choose the toppings.

"I just don't put anything wet on the pancake because you can't flip it," he said.

Johnson was presented with the traditional engraved copper frying pan by Rector of Liverpool Father Philip Anderson who said the church was "delighted" to host the annual event, which while always proved to be competitive, was mainly "a lot of fun".

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