'I travelled from America to try another oatcake'

A TikTok star from America returned to Staffordshire to sample an "absolute monster" of an oatcake after getting a taste for the local delicacy last year.

Food reviewer Kalani Smith, known as Kalani Ghost Hunter, first travelled to Stoke-on-Trent from his home in Nashville in 2024 as part of a UK-wide tour to try the country's signature dishes.

He had an oatcake at Captain Kooks in Burslem, but since then has been inundated with comments begging him to try other eateries in the county.

He recently returned to the area and went to Oatcakes 'n' Milkshakes in Stone, to tackle the ultimate oatcake breakfast.

The dish is a whopping five layers of oatcakes filled with three hash browns, bacon, sausage, fried egg, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding and melted cheese.

"You can probably not even call it an oatcake because normally you put everything in it and fold it over," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"This thing was an absolute monster."

Giving his verdict, Mr Smith, who is from Nashville, said it was "delicious" but he and his wife were only able to get through half of it.

He also followed it up with a cookies-and-cream chocolate egg sundae and a monster shake.

Asked why he visited the area in the first place, Mr Smith said: "The first reason I went to Stoke-on-Trent was for an oatcake. My first trip was all strictly based on recommendations of stuff I had to try.

"I wanted to travel all around the UK and have what areas are known for."

Mr Smith, whose TikTok channel has amassed three million followers, has also travelled to York, Whitby, Warrington and Liverpool during his trip.

On the success of his channel and the videos he has recorded in the UK, he said: "What people appreciate is you can see the level of knowledge, research and effort I put in to understand British people, food and culture."

Continuing his UK tour, Mr Smith headed to Yorkshire where he reviewed the county's food and culture for his millions of followers.

Among his stops around the area, he took in the Shambles Market in York.

"Yorkshire is one of my favourite places because everywhere you walk, it's just a different area of history," he added.

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