This may be considered a day for celebrating in the county of Staffordshire, given the day is all about the local delicacy known as the oatcake. However, as the Burleigh fan base is far-reaching, it is our job not just to spread the beautiful pottery of this area across the globe, but also to share a little of the culture from the region that, over the last 300 years and more, has been primarily occupied with the perfection of pottery manufacture and all that goes with it.
Industrial cities often have a history of fast, convenient foods – easy to transport, easy to eat, filling, and low cost. For this area, the epitome of all these requirements is the oatcake, beloved by those who consume them in Stoke-on-Trent. Although they are sometimes exported, they are little known beyond the confines of the area. They are vastly different from a Scotish Oatcake, as they are soft and much larger in diameter, they are similar to the Derbyshire Oatcake, but more oaty and much thinner.
Oatcakes are a traditional part of local life, sold from small shops who each have their own recipe – that, to the well-tuned Stoke-on-Trent taste bud, can vary from shop to shop and town to town. People tend to have a favourite. These oatcake shops are not easy to frequent, often keeping to opening hours governed by a schedule from the past. Opening early and closing early as well, to cover the working shift patterns of local pottery workers.
For the everyday oatcake eater, they would probably purchase half a dozen or a dozen oatcakes and take them home to prepare at leisure. They can be filled with many things, but a purist would tend to prefer breakfast items, often eaten at the weekend or in the evening on any night of the week. Most commonly filled with cheese, then grilled, folded, and served with either brown sauce or (unfortunately) tomato sauce.
The oatcake has also made regular appearances on a celebratory buffet, served cold, with a filling mainly made up of more cheese and cut into a 'pinwheel'-type arrangement – although this practice has become rarer these days. It is often a fond childhood memory for those of a certain age.
Whatever the case, the oatcake remains a firm favourite to the people of this great city, and long may it continue to form an important part of our cultural heritage.
Our oatcakes are from local favourite High Lane Oatcakes, located a mile or so from our factory:
www.highlaneoatcakes.co.uk – they mail out to expats and non-local oatcake lovers across the UK.