A machine that makes pancakes from eggs laid just minutes before has been developed for Shrove Tuesday. Inspired by Wallace & Gromit, the cracking contraption takes its cue from a free range hen laying an egg to set in motion a chain reaction that makes the world’s freshest pancake. Commissioned by the happy egg co, the UK’s number one free range brand, The Pancake-omatic took a team of four design engineers more than 200 hours to construct and a further 100 to test. The device, which will go on display at the Design Museum later this month, uses a wide selection of household objects including an old-style gramophone and an electric whisk and features a luxury nest throne for the hen to lay her egg in. See video here: http://bit.ly/UxaYhe

Picture: happy egg co / Rex Features