Mrs McQuire’s Oatcakes

During the 1930s and 40s, the best oatcakes in Tunstall were made by an elderly couple, Mr and Mrs McQuire, who lived in Queen Street. Their home was a terraced house and they made oatcakes in the kitchen every Sunday morning.

On Sunday mornings, the front door was always open. Customers came to the house to buy oatcakes. They walked into the parlour and joined a queue that went through the living room into the kitchen, where the McQuires were making and selling oatcakes.

Mrs McQuire stood in front of a hot iron plate, called the backstone, that was laid across the top of the gas oven. There was a large bowl at her side, which contained oatmeal mixture. To make oatcakes, Mrs McQuire dipped her scoop into the mixture. When it was full, she ladled the mixture onto the backstone, swirling the scoop to create perfect circles. As soon as they were cooked on one side, she turned the circles over and cooked them on the other.

When the circles had browned to perfection and become oatcakes, Mrs McQuire scooped them off the backstone and threw them onto a wire tray. She wiped the backstone clean and began the process again.

Mr McQuire sold the oatcakes and wrapped them in newspaper. While serving he kept up a warm, friendly conversation with his customers.

The McQuires’ backyard gate was kept open enabling people living in John Street to come into the yard and be served at the kitchen window.

Mrs McQuire’s oatcakes cost a halfpenny each. They were delicious. Men, women and children came from all parts of Tunstall to buy them to eat with their breakfast, which was either bacon and egg or bacon, cheese and tomatoes.