Soft, savoury, and full of flavour the Staffordshire oatcake is a proper local legend. While the taste hasn’t changed, the way people make oatcakes certainly has.
From old-fashioned griddles in back kitchens to modern bakeries built for purpose, here’s how oatcake-making has evolved and how Povey’s still honours the traditional process, with a few clever modern touches.
The Traditional Way: Baxtons, Back Kitchens & Batter Bowls
In the early days, oatcakes were a working-class staple across Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas. Cheap, filling, and made with simple ingredients. They were the perfect breakfast for pottery and mine workers heading out for a long day.
Traditionally, the batter was mixed by hand and left to ferment overnight, developing its signature flavour and light, bubbly texture. The cooking happened on a baxton often right on the hearth or kitchen range. No fancy gadgets, no timers. Just a watchful eye, a well-worn ladle, and generations of know-how.
It wasn’t unusual for families to make oatcakes fresh each morning or to buy them straight from street-side windows, where oatcake makers would pass them hot off the griddle to waiting hands.
The Modern Method: Staying True to the Taste
Fast forward to today, and while the world looks a little different, our oatcake-making process still holds onto the good stuff. At Povey’s, we still use that same time-honoured recipe with a few modern upgrades to make sure every oatcake is consistent, fresh, and full of flavour.
We batch our batter the traditional way, allowing it to ferment and develop that unmistakable oatcake taste. But instead of a single baxton, we now use custom-built hot plates designed to cook oatcakes to perfection, golden, soft, and ready to wrap around whatever filling takes your fancy.
Our team still turns every oatcake with care and attention but now we can bake in bigger batches and get them wrapped, sealed, and sent across the UK.
Keeping It Authentic at Povey’s
We know how much Staffordshire oatcakes mean to people. Whether it’s a Sunday morning ritual, a taste of home after moving away, or something completely new to try.
That’s why every step of our baking process stays true to the spirit of the original. Simple ingredients, traditional fermentation, and proper care in every batch. We’ve added a few efficiencies here and there, but the heart of it? That’s pure Stoke.
And for those who need it, we’ve even developed a gluten-free version. Crafted with the same love and attention, so nobody has to miss out.
From Baxton to Box: Tradition Delivered to Your Door
So whether you remember oatcakes hot off the hearth or you’ve only just discovered them, know this: every Povey’s oatcake is made with the same values that made them a Staffordshire staple in the first place and now, they’re just a click away.
Order online today and enjoy proper oatcakes, baked the traditional way (with a little help from the 21st century).