Morrisons supermarket appear to have removed North Staffordshire oatcakes from their Stoke store. I found no trace of them in-store, on my last three visits, either in their usual forlorn standalone basket, on the bread aisle, or in or near the bakery. And nothing via a search on the Morrisons websites.

My guess is that the cost of making them has killed the product? I think they were a hefty £1.30 for six, at my last sight of them. ‘Luxury pricing’, for many in Stoke. I vaguely recall they used to be about 45p per pack, at one time, and were a healthy staple of poverty. Then they went to 85p, then £1.20 and on upwards and out of reach of daily eating.

Nor can Morrison’s new link-up with Amazon deliver three packs to an Amazon locker, to be picked up with the shopping. All Amazon can offer is the dry Scottish type of oatcakes.

There are recipes, of course, but they’re a lot more palaver than just opening a packet and flinging two in a sizzling pan.

Solution for Morrisons: For now, B&M, just across the road from Morrisons, has them at £1 a pack, and they’re the proper type and brand. Still no oatcakes in Morrisons at January 2024. Update: August 2025: B&M tend not to have them on Mondays for some reason, ‘still baking’ I guess!