Ode to oatcakes

[TheAwfulToad]

This one might surprise the regulars - since my usual posts are rants on the subject of low-carb - but an uncharacteristic twinge of homesickness prompted me to google 'oatcake recipes'. I came across this, which seems like the real deal:

theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...

If you live anywhere other than Staffordshire you'll have never even heard of these, which is probably just as well. They are not healthy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact they might be the worst possible food I can think of for weight loss. But they are traditionally eaten with a sausage, cheese, and bacon filling, which is not only extremely tasty, it also ticks all my boxes for 'high fat'

In short, they're the sort of food you should revel in once or twice a year, to remind yourself that, even if British food is full of stodge, at least it's delicious stodge.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

That's not an oatcake, it's a pancake!

This is an oatcake! thespruceeats.com/tradition...

[TheAwfulToad Visitor in reply to moreless]

oh no. What have I done? This is one of those turnips-vs-swedes things. I sense a Scotland-vs-England war about to break out.

But yeah, it is actually a lot like a pancake, although it has a more rubbery texture. Sounds horrific, I know. Perhaps it's an acquired taste ...

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to TheAwfulToad]

LOL!

Each to their own

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Ignore moreless, we used to buy these from our local market (Lancs, not Staffs) and they were known as oatcakes. We just had them with butter, lots of butter

I last had them in the café at Biddulph Grange gardens where they were served with savoury fillings. I probably just went for lots of butter, again

[TheAwfulToad Visitor in reply to BridgeGirl]

I used to work just down the road from there. If you happen to be in the area again, The Talbot pub has some good food!

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to TheAwfulToad]

I'll bear that in mind

[slipstick Maintainer 2st 7lbs in reply to TheAwfulToad]

I was round that way yesterday which I why I now have half a dozen of Povey's finest!

[slipstick Maintainer 2st 7lbs]

Now there's an odd coincidence. I bought half a dozen only yesterday, the first in months. It's a good thing my plan is only "a bit lower carbs and moderate fat". I'll probably go for a bacon, cheese and tomato filling. Bacon and sausage at once is a bit too decadent for me.

And yes they are just an occasional treat. But if you can't have the odd treat what's the point of life?

[Cp1965 41kg in reply to slipstick]

Add in a few mushrooms and a bit of black pudding and I'm there with you, save me a couple and I'll be round later 😁

[slipstick Maintainer 2st 7lbs in reply to Cp1965]

Ah you're willing to save me from making a pig of myself with all 6 oatcakes. What a kind person. The mushrooms are fine but I have to draw the line at black pudding. That's great for fry-ups not oatcakes.

[IndigoBlue61]

I have a foot in both camps, currently living in Scotland but Derbyshire born with happy memories of these oatcakes, which to me are like a thinner version of a crumpet. 😂

[Shield-Maiden]

Nice post Toad

I'm from Staffs, many moons ago, but I have never eaten Oatcakes, but they sound scrumptious...maybe one day lol

Have a good weekend.

Shield

[Hidden]

Let’s not even get started on the scone war between Cornwall and Devon (Although we all know it’s jam first!)

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Hidden]

Not to mention the pronunciation 😩😬🙄

[Hidden in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Ha! So true!

[Cp1965 41kg]

Another expatriate Stokey writes; I must go back and stock up some time. Part of the blame for my former size must go to the oatcake shop on King Street, source of many a breakfast when I worked at Foley Crossing signalbox just round the corner... that, and Wright's Pies... 😁 I tend to get a load, freeze them and have a couple at a time over the space of several weeks. Yes, not very LCHF, but hey! And those hard biscuity things aren't proper oatcakes...

[TheAwfulToad Visitor]

I seem to have kicked off a reminiscence thread

Wright's Pies! I'd forgotten about them.

It's true that Stoke-on-Trent isn't renowned for producing, say, catwalk models. It could be that oatcakes have something to do with that ...

[Cp1965 41kg in reply to TheAwfulToad]

I lived on their products for about 4 months when unable to cook after breaking my right arm... a big contributory factor in my ensuing 20 years of morbid obesity... but there was a shop at the top of the street and it was so easy to pop up and stock up. And their sausage rolls were addictive too...!

[DebbieFleming 7lbs in reply to TheAwfulToad]

You are right. However, Robbie Williams comes from Stoke On Trent. I wonder if he eats oatcakes.

[Cp1965 41kg in reply to DebbieFleming]

Personally I prefer to think of the late, great Lemmy as Stoke's greatest contribution to music... 😅

[DebbieFleming 7lbs in reply to Cp1965]

Lemmy Oatcake - now there's a musical act !

[TheAwfulToad Visitor in reply to DebbieFleming]

Apparently Robbie Williams's favourite oatcake shop in High Lane, Burslem ... google it.

[Sophieturigel Visitor]

Thanks, I’ll try the sourdough version.

[LizzieG101]

The staffirdhire oatcakes made an appearance on BBC TV’s Antiques Road Trip with James Braxtead recently. Something of a comeback, it seems.

[ljk1]

Don’t they sell a version in Sainsbury’s? Or are those not ‘proper ‘?

[Cp1965 41kg in reply to ljk1]

I've never seen them in my local Sainsbury's, I know Asda in Long Eaton used to sell them at one time of day and they were (if memory serves) North Staffs ones, but the ones from the "hole in the wall" in Botteslow Street (last of the traditional oatcake shops!) were always the tastiest.

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to ljk1]

Hello, are you wanting to lose weight and join this forum or are you drawn here by the chat about oatcakes? You're very welcome, either way.

I've never seen the Staffordshire oatcakes in the supermarket, just the biscuity ones in boxes

[DebbieFleming 7lbs]

I couldn't agree more. I live near Stoke On Trent. My very first oatcake was at a Potteries Museum cafe. The oatcake was filled with bacon and mushroom with a cheese sauce on top. Sublime.

Oatcake are made from oats. Yeah, I know, the clue is in the title. The oat straw was used to pack the finished pottery ware before it was loaded on to barges for transportation.

It takes an act of will not to buy the oatcakes from the supermarket and take them home to be eaten with savoury then sweet fillings.

[Cp1965 41kg in reply to DebbieFleming]

I'm overdue a return trip to the homeland to stock up! In my shift work days they were a quick and easy meal especially on late shift, couple of oatcakes, bacon, cheese and mushrooms, 10 mins or so under the grill, job done! Not so much haute cuisine as oat cuisine.

[cheritorrox in reply to Cp1965]

like that one!

[Hidden]

I used to have oatcakes and loved them with butter - I'm from Lancashire not Staffordshire but was living in Lincolnshire when I really got into the oatcake habit - perhaps it's a Northern thing. Probably best avoided whilst trying to lose weight but definitely on the list for a special treat.

[Sonzi]

I love Staffordshire oatcakes! My 88 year old Dad is from Stoke and every time we went to visit grandparents we had them. Now I Order them online as I don’t live anywhere near staffs. I checked, There’s 81 calories per oatcake which is less than a slice of bread and they’re pretty filling! I guess it depends on how you fill them! We have to be inventive! Anyone got any ideas for low cal fillings?

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone in reply to Sonzi]

Hello and welcome, Sonzi 😊

You'll get good ideas for meals on the Daily Diary, and plenty of recipes in Topics.

You'll find all our groups and activities in Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... , plus a Welcome message. A good place to start is with a weekly weigh-in on the day of your choice, and the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.

This gives you a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/?tour=true and, along with Pinned Posts, will show you how things work. Active participation can be a great boost to your own efforts so I hope you'll become an active member and we will see you joining in around the forum 😊

PS the app doesn’t give access to all parts of the forum so we advise everyone to get rid of the app and log on to the full website using the browser on their phone

[cheritorrox]

Aah the joys of freshly made oaties, still warm when got em home, add butter and cheddar for first couple then savour more with a fry up ... nostalgia indeed! x