People are being invited to tuck into a traditional oatcake as part of a celebration of the popular treat, which coincides with Staffordshire Day.
The county's promotion group Enjoy Staffordshire is marking this year's Staffordshire Day, on Tuesday, May 1, by inviting people to take part in the World's Biggest Oatcake Morning with support from Staffordshire County Council and other local authorities.
Taking inspiration from Macmillan's World's Biggest Coffee Morning, the events will see guests make donations to charity, to cover the cost of their oatcakes and other refreshments. A Staffordshire oatcake is a type of savoury pancake made from oatmeal, flour and yeast.
Hosts can support a charity of their choice, or pick from a list of good causes suggested by Enjoy Staffordshire, who will help publicise the events and provide promotional materials including posters.
Enjoy Staffordshire is also encouraging charities to organise their own oatcake morning fund-raisers.
Mark Winnington, county council cabinet member for economic growth at Staffordshire County Council and vice-chairman of Enjoy Staffordshire, said: "There is no better way to celebrate Staffordshire Day than by tucking into a great local delicacy like an oatcake.
"We thought we could embrace the love of the oatcake this year and help some amazing Staffordshire charities at the same time. We'll also be encouraging people to share their oatcake photos on social media too.
"Many groups have already come forward but we want as many oatcake mornings going on across the county as possible, so we urge you to get in touch with the Enjoy Staffordshire team if you're interested."
More information on Staffordshire Day is available by visiting www.enjoystaffordshire.com/staffsday.
What is Staffordshire Day?
This year's Staffordshire Day is a four-day celebration extended across two weekends of everything the county has to offer.
The big day falls on Tuesday, May 1, but organisers have decided to extend celebrations to run on the weekend starting Saturday, April 28 and the following weekend, which ends Sunday, May 6.
The day was first celebrated in 2015 and the date marks the creation of Staffordshire's Wedgwood pottery company in 1759.
It is a chance for people from all walks of life to come together and celebrate Staffordshire and everything that happens in the county.
Some of the attractions for this year's celebrations have already been confirmed, including the Staffordshire Plate Raceday at Uttoxeter Racecourse and a major exhibition dedicated to Staffordshire-born Philip Astley, the father of the modern circus.
A full run-down of the events on offer across the county is online here.
Recipe for a North Staffordshire oatcake from Allotment Garden Recipes
Ingredients:
- 225g fine oatmeal
- 225g wholewheat or plain flour
- 1tsp salt
- 15g yeast
- 450ml warm milk
- 450ml warm water
- 1tsp sugar
How to make them
- Mix the water and milk together.
- Mix the salt to the flour and oatmeal in a large bowl.
- Dissolve the yeast with a little warm liquid and add the sugar. Allow the mixture to become frothy.
- Mix the dry ingredients with the yeast liquid to make a batter, adding the remainder of the warm liquid.
- Cover the batter with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour.
- Pour out enough batter on a well-greased griddle to make an oatcake of about 22cm. The surface will be covered in holes as it cooks.
- Flip the oatcake after two to three minutes when the top side has a dry appearance and the underneath is a golden brown colour and cook for another two to three minutes.
