Minute on the clock: Patricia Trijbits, founder, Where the Pancakes Are
The founder of Where the Pancakes Are tells Caroline Baldwin why London's round-the-clock economy is perfect for her business – as well as the secret to super-fluffy pancakes
Tell us about how you started Where the Pancakes Are
When I moved to London at the end of 2000, there was not a decent pancake place in sight. I grew up in Holland and lived in France and the States, so pancakes had become part of my DNA.
In 2015 we had our first pop-up, which was very successful and is the template for our current business, which offers American-style savoury and sweet pancakes with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and British suppliers. We now have three sites – at London Bridge, Fitzrovia and Battersea.
How is the Battersea site performing now the power station development is open?
We opened at Battersea in October 2022 and it was so positive – much better than anticipated. It's a fantastic, beautiful location, and a great melting pot of culture, shopping and office space.
It was difficult at first. Because of the people challenges, we were clearly underemployed compared to the volume of trade we were doing, so in the short term it was very tricky. We're tackling those challenges, along with controlling costs, and we're in the same situation as everyone else. There's a lot of pressure on profitability, but all our sites have outperformed our forecasts to varying degrees. Now we employ around 60 part-time and full-time staff.
How do you expect trade to pan out on Shrove Tuesday next week?
Historically, on Pancake Day, we would see four or five times the volume for a normal Tuesday. We always used to do a pop-up on the day, but this year we're just going to focus on the sites.
We have a partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company around Matilda the Musical, and there's lots of stuff going on, including our popping pancake special, which has chocolate-covered popping candy and heaps of colour.
Pancakes are typically thought of as breakfast food, but you have an evening menu. How has that been received by guests?
We are open from early in the morning to the evening, depending on the site. For instance, our London Bridge restaurant is dependent on the adjacent Flat Iron Square, with its music and food, which hasn't properly come back since lockdown, so we've not reopened there in the evenings yet, but we will this spring.
When we do open in the evenings we have a bar menu, and we've always found that the surprise is that the breakfast pancakes are equally as successful in the evenings as the mornings.
The 24-hour economy of London reflects those choices for our customers. With the London Bridge and Fitzrovia sites being close to hospitals, for instance, we see staff come in after their night shifts and order a cocktail with their breakfast. There's really a sense that pancakes can be enjoyed at any time.
Which is your best-selling dish?
The American – three pancakes with Swaledale smoked streaky bacon, blueberries and 100% pure maple (£13.50) – is and always has been our bestseller.
I'm hugely proud of the ingredients we use and the farmers we work with. We work with a family business in Cornwall to use their exquisite eggs, and a butchery in Yorkshire called Swaledale, and our flour is from Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire. They all share a real passion for regenerative farming and care for the soil, and there are real people behind each of our ingredients.
What's your best pancake tip?
If you're after fluffy pancakes, my best tip is to separate the egg yolk from the white, and then whisk the egg whites before folding in the yolks and other ingredients with a spatula. Let the batter sit for a while before frying.
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