Barry's Pantry.

I have, on occasion, been accused of being passionate about the subjects of my blips; now as far as Barry and his wonderful pantry are concerned, I plead guilty.

A few years ago, the last "traditional" oatcake shop in the Potteries closed, it was traditional in that the oatcakes were cooked in the home and sold through the open window of the front room, the window opening directly onto the street.

Barry isn't quite that traditional, but when I go in and ask for three dozen, I have to wait for him to cook them. I visit whenever I'm in Alsager (where Mrs TD spent her formative years) and today I passed through on my way home from Bristle, I had to make a detour off the motorway to visit herself's sister and pick up some patchwork stuff along with a few other things, I'm not sure why, the house walls are bulging with fat quarters as it is.

Barry has been in business for over twenty years (thank you Google) but I think it's considerably more than that. Until recently he had a copy of the article that appeared in "The Sentinel", about him opening his emporium, displayed on the wall and slowly turning yellow. The picnic table outside on the pavement is a new addition, as is the sandwich board advertising - well - sandwiches, and other goodies, as are the sandwiches and other goodies themselves. Until recently, you could only buy oatcakes from him though, as a special concession, you could have them filled with cheese or bacon and egg to eat on your way to work.
Like everyone else, Barry has to keep up with the times to maintain a viable enterprise.

Post-script. The Staffordshire oatcake is a local delicacy (although the Sainsbury's at Straiton used to stock them) in the form of an oatmeal pancake, and very good it is too, particularly when made by an artisan.