Porridge’s High-Fibre Revival Takes the UK Beyond Breakfast

The dish has long been a staple made with oats, water and a pinch of salt or sugar. Its revival is visible on social media, where recipe creators are testing miso versions and toppings such as sour cherry and pistachio butter. In central London, the restaurant 26 Grains this month is serving a five-grain porridge with fig and red grape jam and whipped cream. In west London, Oatis offers toppings including caramelised banana and tahini, and mushrooms and pesto.

Alex Hely-Hutchinson, founder of 26 Grains, calls porridge 'comfort in a bowl'. She says part of its appeal is that it offers a 'moment for pause in a busy world', and most people know how to make it. The trend is also affecting household shopping. Searches for organic jumbo oats at Ocado are up 98% year on year, while sales of White's jumbo oats are up 56%, according to the report.

Hedié Rhodes, founder of Husk & Honey in south London, which the report describes as the UK's first dedicated cereals bakery, says the 'personalisation aspect' of porridge has helped drive the trend. The brand began in 2015 specialising in granola and now also sells dedicated porridge blends. Bestsellers include cinnamon bark and cranberry and a spiced apple version. 'Porridge is a great carrier for a lot of nice things,' Rhodes said. She added that a family can make one pan and still let each person choose a different style, from honey to more elaborate toppings.

Alex Hayes, co-founder of the food innovation studio Harris and Hayes, compares porridge with salads and smoothies. She says it is a 'great canvas' for toppings suited to taste and nutritional needs, citing nut butters and functional additions such as psyllium husk. The report links the trend to 'fibremaxxing', an online nutrition trend encouraging higher fibre intake. The NHS recommends adults eat 30g of fibre a day, but the British Dietetic Association says average intake is 18g. Oats provide soluble fibre that is important for gut health and can help reduce cholesterol. Some people are now choosing porridge for breakfast instead of protein-rich eggs.

At Café Cùil on the Isle of Skye, a 'wee porridge' uses pinhead oats soaked in oat milk overnight. Founder Clare Coghill, a chef and writer, finishes it with seasonal toppings; currently these are hazelnut praline brittle and poached pears. Coghill, who recently tasted 86 bowls of porridge as a judge at the world porridge-making championship held each year in the Scottish Highlands, says 'porridge purists' prefer coarser pinhead oats, also called steel-cut oats, over softer rolled oats. She says pinhead oats were the original oats and are a way to celebrate Scottish heritage.

Hely-Hutchinson uses a mixture that includes jumbo and rolled oats for creaminess, plus rye, barley and malted wheat for texture and a 'slight fermented note'. Other recipes replace oats with rice, amaranth or quinoa. To avoid a gloopy porridge, Coghill says stirring is key: the pot should be warmed slowly and the spurtle moved constantly to create a silky bowl. Hely-Hutchinson prefers hers softer and says porridge is nostalgic, made the way her mother used to make it. She says preference depends on the person, like how much Marmite someone puts on toast or milk they add to tea.

The report says porridge is also moving beyond the breakfast table. Hely-Hutchinson says busy customers are receptive to a simple dish and get annoyed if porridge is not on the menu after 3pm. Hayes expects more savoury options, influenced by Chinese congee and Indian kitchari, which is made with yellow split mung beans. Rhodes says people are realising the potential of oats, similar to how bakers experiment with wheat, and that there are many avenues to explore. The new enthusiasm has one drawback: washing up the pan.