Flipping Amazing!
-Hundreds turn out to become record breakers
As part of the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 plans, Tourism Northern Ireland gathered hundreds of people in the Courtyard of Belfast Met Titanic Quarter (Tuesday February 9) to attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most people flipping a pancake. The current record for the most people flipping a pancake for a duration of thirty seconds in one place, without dropping it, currently stands at 890, but Tourism Northern Ireland together with Asda, which supplied the frying pans for the flip, Irwin’s Bakery and Belfast Met, hopes to smash it by getting 1000 flippers.
Rachel Quigg, Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “This month’s Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 theme is ‘Love Local’, so what better way to celebrate than getting hundreds of locals, including students and members of the public together to try and break a world record, and on Pancake Tuesday!”
The daring record-break attempt took place in sight of the world’s largest Titanic attraction, Titanic Belfast, and the SS Nomadic, tender to the Titanic and the last remaining White Star Line ship in the world.
“We’d like to thank everyone who attempted the record as well as Volunteer Now who provided our stewards, well-known chef, Niall McKenna and Diane Poole OBE from Stena Line who were the independent judges and our two time keepers, former boxing champion, Brian Magee and Natasha McClure.”
Joe McDonald, Asda NI commented: “This huge gathering of pancake flippers is the perfect way to bring Year of Food and Drink 2016 to life, have some fun and celebrate all that is great about our local produce. Asda is proud to support the initiative which is sure to make Pancake Tuesday another day to remember in this important year-long celebration.”
“It’s fantastic to be involved in the World Record attempt today with Tourism Northern Ireland,” Colette Wilson, Irwin’s Bakery said. “It is a very exciting time for Northern Ireland and the Year of Food and Drink 2016 is going to be a great way to celebrate so many Northern Irish brands, highlight the quality of our food and of course the warmth of our hospitality. The pancake flipping attempt is a perfect example of this – I hope we break the record!”
Harry Robinson, Curriculum Area Manager for Catering and Hospitality at Belfast Met, said: “We are thrilled to host this event during the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016. Belfast Met have developed a year-long programme of events with our talented staff and students to celebrate it. We wish all students the best of luck with the record attempt and would also like to thank them for their efforts and enthusiasm.”
There will be a nervous wait now for the record attempt to be validated by the Guinness World Records.
“We have put all the evidence together and sent it to the Guinness World Records. We are very hopeful we have broken the record but we won’t know for sure until we get the official word – wouldn’t it be flipping marvellous to have taken the record!” concluded Rachel.
For more information on Year of Food & Drink 2016 visit www.discovernorthernireland.com/yearoffoodanddrink2016. You can keep up to date with what’s happening on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #EnjoyNI16.
