Forget the buzz of working on PR campaigns like the twinning of Walt Disney World Florida with Swindon and Jameson Cult Film Club events. The real competitive edge you experience working at Launch Group came to the fore on Tuesday – Shrove Tuesday – which became the perfect opportunity for Launchers to compete in a pancake making competition!
This was a no holds barred event. Spatulas at the ready, Launchers gathered in the kitchen to show off their pancake making skills and batter their fellow competitors into ignominious defeat. We outlined the skills required to make a perfect pancake early on: adroit handling of the frying pan; the ability to flick your wrist at just the right angle to deliver the perfect toss, and, of course, a tennis player’s eye for the ball. Corporate’s Rebecca failed on the last count; she dropped her first pancake!
We discovered along the way that it’s essential to turn up the heat – Launchers are good at that – and ensure that your frying pan and the fat is very hot. So that’s my excuse for my own rather feeble effort. As the first Launcher off the starting block, I had to contend with a cold pan and although I demonstrated good throwing skills, my humble effort was never in the running.
Rebecca did better on her second attempt. But no Olympic contender ever gets a second chance so her pancakes were consigned to the bin. Then there was Chris, whose confident, cocky and laid-back approach wasn’t impressing anyone. His one-handed tossing of the pancake might have looked good but he was never really in with a chance of the big time. The same could not be said for Elodie, whose Gallic culinary skills shone through as she set about creating the perfect crepe. A delicate turn of the pan and a flip of the wrist and her almost perfect, aesthetically pleasing crepe was a joy to behold. Nevertheless, the French aren’t going to beat us at rugby, nor could they triumph in the pancake tossing stakes. In the end, triumph and glory went to Laura, who was universally praised for her effective tossing skills and the height of her throw.
So – what is Pancake Day all about? It is Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent when Christians give up something, most often a favourite food. Pancakes contain dairy products, fat and eggs. So Pancake Day is a day of indulgence when you can enjoy an indulgent feast of pancakes before the long slog of abstinence over Lent. I don’t know if any Launchers are giving anything up over Lent, but if they are, I’m pretty certain it won’t be any delicious food. There are a lot of good things about working for Launch Group, and one of them is that you don’t have to be coy and hold back when there is great food on offer. Roll on Easter.
