Pimhill Oatcakes

Location: Shropshire, England

Pimhill Farm, where Pimhill Oatcakes are made, has been in the Mayall family since the 1930s first under the steerage of Sam Mayall and later, his son Richard.

In 1948, at Glasgow ready to study agriculture, Richard encountered the book 'Humus and the Farmer' by Friend Sykes and a long standing commitment to the health of their soil was formed. This lead to them being instrumental in the organic movement after meeting Lady Eve Balfour in the 1950s and joining her newly formed Soil Association. They were proponents of organic farming, sustainability and biodiversity long before it was fashionable. Their oatcakes are made from wholemeal flour, groats, pinhead and medium oatmeal - all grown on the farm - combined with salted butter and baked in a wood-fired oven. Organic and free from palm oil, they are a good foil for most cheeses but work particularly well with Kirkham's Lancashire and Etrez salted butter.