Back in December we posted about the closure of Leeds Corn Exchange, well now another local favourite is facing closure, only this time it’s in time in Stoke-on-Trent. The Hole in the Wall oatcake shop is facing closure due to the council’s plans to demolish the building it stands in. It follows a similar story to the Corn Exchange in that potential closure comes after £2.3 billion plans have been drawn up to re-generate the local area surrounding the shop. Re-generation at the cost of loosing local favourites and traditions.

Oatcakes are a local tradition and institution in the Staffordshire area and shops like the Hole in the Wall operate out of the front room of the terrace houses, serving customers from a single hole/window. This tradition is over 100 years old and originates from a time when pottery factories littered the towns, making hungry workers in need of good cheap food.

The Hole in the Wall is one of the last remaining oatcake shops that still operate from an original terrace house, and if it closes then the tradition will certainly start to decline. The shop is located on Waterloo Street in Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent serves over 2500 oatcakes to locals and visitors everyday – demonstrating its continued popularity. The shop is part of the local community and locals fear losing, it will meaning losing a part of their identity and heritage.

To get behind saving the Hole in the Wall you can sign the online petition on the Downing Street website, write a gleaming review for it here on welovelocal.com or just have a read the full BBC article.

Photo supplied by Joe Saunders over on Flickr.