It’s not too hot and it’s not too cold but, at last, porridge is really, terribly cool
Traditional Scots breakfast is oats so trendy
Itcan be too hot, too cold, too salty, or too sweet.
But porridge, the breakfast of champions, is just right for more and more of us.
The mix of oatmeal, hot milk and – depending on your taste – salt or sugar is more popular and trendier than ever before.
Chris Seal, professor of food and human nutrition at Newcastle University says porridge every day could transform the health of the nation.
And, in 10 days’ time, porridge makers from around the world will once again compete for the coveted Golden Spurtle in Carrbridge, in the Highlands.
We buy nearly twice as much porridge as we did 10 years ago – and some brands have doubled sales in the last year alone. Sales are booming so much that producers are churning out oats all year round to cope with demand.
Meanwhile, instant porridge brand Moma’s sales are up 82% since 2016. High street sandwich chain Pret A Manger’s profits are booming and, they say, a big spoonful of that is down to takeaway porridge.
Customers are snapping up pots of Coconut Porridge – a gluten and dairy-free version of the classic dish.
In London’s hipster haven Shoreditch, a porridge café has opened. Another in Covent Garden offers carrot cake porridge, with carrot juice on an oat and rye blend with spices, toasted nuts and ginger maple.
Overnight Oats – soaking porridge in milk in the fridge through the night – is now one of the favourite recipes of online food celebrities such as Deliciously Ella and Pinch of Yum.
Porridge giant Quaker have launched pre-prepared pots of overnight oats in Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury and marketing manager Eric Wiliams says porridge has never been cooler.
He said: “Overnight Oats are perfect for the consumer seeking to understand simple ingredients that go into their breakfast.
“People love the Instagrammable nature of breakfast.”
Alan Meikle, managing director of Hamlyns of Scotland, who produce porridge oats, says that sales are strong throughout the year, with much less of a winter peak than in previous years.
“Porridge has always been the favourite breakfast choice for healthy eaters, but the growing trend for breakfast on the go, satisfied by the wide range of instant porridge pots and sachets, and the huge interest in overnight oats, mean that porridge really is a year-round breakfast favourite,” he explained.
“We used to ramp up production at our mill in Boyndie over the build up to winter and throughout the winter months, but we’re now working 24/7 all year-round to cope with demand.”
Alan hailed the humble oat’s versatility as key to its success.
“Apart from the many health benefits, one of the great things about porridge is that it can be made with so many different toppings,” he added.
“Personally I love adding a handful of blueberries into porridge in the final couple of minutes of cooking – the berries burst and the juice sweetens the porridge. “The World Porridge Making Championships features a speciality category that celebrates the diversity of porridge and over the years we’ve seen many wonderful entries. “California-based Christina Conte’s Sticky Toffee Porridge from 2014 is particularly
memorable.”