Who are Povey's Oatcakes? Inside the Factory visits shop as delicacy sold in M&S

Iconic Povey's Oatcakes has bounced back from the death of its founder and the Covid pandemic to celebrate 30 years in business. It is now 31 years since businessman Steve Povey founded Povey's Oatcakes, in Biddulph.

The business was taken on by son Alex following his dad's death and the firm has also snapped up Stoke-on-Trent institution High Lane Oatcakes. Now Povey's Oatcakes has enjoyed national TV exposure on Inside the Factory as its products are sold in M&S stores.

The episode aired on BBC1 from 8pm on Tuesday, January 21. It saw historian Ruth Goodman visit Povey's Oatcakes.

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Povey's Oatcakes states: "Povey’s have been producing traditional Staffordshire oatcakes for over 30 years using a special secret family recipe. Povey’s Oatcakes was started by Steve Povey in 1994 selling and making a range of products from their first shop in Biddulph.

"Steve grew up in Leek and was a well-known local councillor and supporter of the local community and sadly passed away in 2011. Step forward his son Alex. At just 23 Alex decided the best tribute to his father would be continuing to grow this loved Staffordshire food brand, and that’s just what he did.

"Alex Povey and the team produce oatcakes and other bakery products daily from their modern production facility and continue to grow the business and distribution of their famous oatcake across the UK and even now selling online to ex-pats who miss the taste of home – with lots of recent orders coming from across the world including an order from the staff of Barclays Bank based in Japan.

"Now owned and managed fully by Alex Povey, Alex has increased production steadily since taking over, not only selling oatcakes from the original oatcake shop his dad started in the 90s, but also now owing and running his modern bakery production site in Staffordshire to increase production to cope with the growing demand both locally and across the UK for their bestselling oatcakes and other well-known recipes like their fruit pikelets, supplying to numerous outlets including local shops and supermarkets across the region and the UK.

“Alex says he will continue to invest in the Povey’s brand and business over the next decade. The Povey’s Oatcake recipe is a closely guarded secret, but the family will tell you that the oatcakes contain fine oatmeal, plain flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, yeast and water and no artificial additives making them a delicious healthy hi-fibre versatile snack, eaten by all ages.

"Many believe the original oatcake is a 'Potteries' tradition and has been know by many names over the years, from The Tunstall Tortilla, through to The Potteries Poppadom and Clay Suzzette. But here at Povey’s, Alex Povey believes the oatcake has its origins in the Staffordshire Moorlands where isolated farmers would make and eat oatcakes from ingredients from their store cupboard, when they were cut off by bad weather and couldn’t reach the shops to get bread."

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