Free beer on offer to winner of Hartlepool pub's pancake tossing contest

The winner will get a £15 bar tab./Photo: Frank Reid

A Hartlepool pub is challenging punters to show how many times they can toss a pancakes in a minute.

The Blackmiths Arms, in Stranton, is asking punters to roll up their sleeves and demonstrate their pancake flipping skills on March 1.

Contestants are challenged to toss a pancake as many times as they can within a minute – with the winner receiving a £15 bar tab.

Landlord David Mountney has said this is the first time the pub has run the Pancake Tuesday event and that it is aimed at cheering people up.

Paul Caldwell (39) tossing his pancake outside of The Blacksmiths Arms/Photo: Frank Reid

David added: "It was just something that we thought of that was a little bit of fun.

"There’s a lot of serious stuff going on around the world at the moment and we just thought that if we can bring a smile to people’s faces.

"A lot of our customers are male and I am sure that they would love to think that they could toss a pancake as many times as they can within a minute.”

The contest is also trying to raise money for a ramp at the front door of the pub by charging a £1 fee for entrants.

David Mountney, landlord of the Blacksmiths Arms with a pint of the pub's bicentennial beer./Photo: Frank Reid

A handful of people had taken part within the first half an hour of the contest taking place on Tuesday afternoon.

The early leader flipped a pancake eight times in the minute.

David has said he loves pancakes himself and might have a go in the competition as well.

He added: "I’m very traditional. I like squeezed lemon and sugar.

"I had two for breakfast with bacon and maple syrup, which is a bit of an American thing. Later on I’ll be having the English version of lemon and sugar.”

The Blacksmiths Arms is believed to be the oldest pub in Hartlepool.

It marked its 200th birthday in 2021 with a beer made specially to mark the occasion.

The brew, called The Blacksmith’s Bicentennial Brew, was served until the end of November last year, with part of the proceeds going towards local charities.

More than £1,500 was recently raised for a defibrillator at the pub.

Flipping back through the years to these nine Hartlepool and East Durham pancake...

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