Guardian article on Staffordshire Oatcakes that appeared in Saturday's leader columns: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/07/editorial-staffordshire-oatcakes
Our area was described in the article as 'the beautiful surrounding "lost land" of North Staffordshire'. Fair description, I'd say.
On the hunt for Staffordshire Oatcakes? Simple answer, come and stay in our holiday cottage and order our breakfast hamper. We always include them, and we almost always receive queries about how to deal with them.
My neighbour makes his own Staffordshire Oatcakes. I would like to give the impression that I go to the famous, soon to be demolished, hole-in-the-wall outlet in the Potteries but I buy them at the local supermarket or village shop.
As a follow up to the earlier piece on the local butchers, the one in Alton has in fact recently closed. Ian, the butcher, suggested that he'd had enough of working on his own and was off to join his wife's business in Leek. She makes Staffordshire Oatcakes. The ones of hers that I used to buy from Ian were tastier than the supermarket ones, that is for sure. I wish them well.
On the hunt online for Staffordshire Oatcakes? Try Facebook, there are hordes of people seperated from their native "lost land", pining for the tastes of their childhood and musing on whether its preferable to have with melted cheese, beans and bacon, or sweet with syrup . . . ? Don't tell my neighbours, but as an evening snack we like them blini-style with pretend caviar, chopped onion and sour cream. Breakfast has to be cheese, beans and bacon though.