Ditty's Oatcakes in new M&S range to celebrate 'forgotten' British Foods

Northern Ireland's Ditty's Smoked Oatcakes are included with Suki Tea's Belfast Brew in a new Marks & Spencer range of products to celebrate British and Irish cuisine that has been neglected or forgotten.

Rolling out this month to 411 stores under the Taste of the British Isles initiative are 19 branded lines from speciality suppliers and more than 300 own-label products.

Ditty's Oatcakes and Suki Tea are among the branded launches. They are the only two from Northern Ireland. Ditty's is a family bakery owned and run by master baker Robert Ditty, a former UK Baker of the Year in 2011.

Alongside the branded products, M&S has introduced a range of more than 300 own label lines as part of the initiative. They include little-known local specialities such as Fidget Pork Pie from Shropshire; historical dishes such as Taffety Tart, popular in the 16th century; and inventive uses of traditional flavours in products such as Earl Grey spiced loaf and Rhubarb and Custard gourmet trifle.

"It's about time we celebrate our wonderful culinary history, which is why we've developed a collection that showcases our country's unique tastes at their best," said M&S head of product development Sandra Ziles.

Ditty's Bakery is renowned for its breads, including traditional Irish lines such as wheaten, brown soda, as well as soda farls and potato cakes.

The Ditty family have owned the bakery since 1963 and grown it to be a successful retail and wholesale enterprise, with a growing international client list.

The bakery, which employs 70 people at its home bakeries in Castledawson and nearby Magherafelt, uses local ingredients from other artisan producers including local farms and organic suppliers to offer a broad range of specialty biscuits, pastries, breads and savoury foods. It has an international reputation for its range of oatcakes.