While Ben’s cracked on with the first batch of pancakes he confided in me: “We don’t often really have them on the menu here to be honest. Obviously pancake day is a little different, so we might have them on as a pre-dessert, but it’s not something we make very much.

“It’s one of those things that you make at college and then you don’t make very often after that.”

“Mind you,” he adds. “I’ve got a baby on the way so maybe pancake day will feature a little bit more highly at my house in the future.”

His final result? Crepes with creme Anglais, marinated prunes in almagnac and prune and almagnac icecream. Delicious, but still unlikely to feature on my Pancake Day menu at home.

* For the recipe – and to see Ben whipping up the dish – visit www.birminghammail.net.