LENT came early in the Echo office this year as employees embraced the Polish tradition of Fat Thursday.

Pawel Balik of the Polish Delicatessen Belweder in Great George Street, Weymouth, brought a special sugar-coated delivery to the Echo office this morning in the form of freshly-baked giant donuts.

Not purely to expand our waistlines, Pawel’s delivery was to spread the word of the little-known tradition many Polish people are celebrating throughout Dorset today.

Much like the Anglican tradition of Pancake Day, Fat Thursday is a traditional Catholic feast marking the last Thursday before Lent.

Pawel said: "Traditionally the day is dedicated to eating, when people meet in their homes, cafes and with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes, and other meals usually not eaten during lent."

The doughy delights were filled with an assortment of fillings ranging from custard and plum, to the more adventurous rose jam or cottage cheese.

Pawel explained the most popular of all dishes served on Fat Thursday is the Paczki, a fist-sized donut brimming with rose marmalade.

He said: "There is a big Polish community in Weymouth and I also have a lot of English customers who come in for our bread, so I just wanted to let people know what Fat Thursday is and how we celebrate it.

"There are a lot of Polish people who work in the factories here and they come in this morning to get donuts for their English coleagues."

The shop opened four hours earlier than usual today at 5am to allow for the plenty of time for people to get their hands on one of the 2000 sweet treats they have in store today.