The clocks may be going back in the UK this weekend, but the biggest sign winter is coming is a steaming bowl of porridge on a breakfast table. A staple for centuries, porridge is traditionally made with oats, water and a pinch of salt or sugar. However, the humble dish is now experiencing its own renaissance, with the latest iterations transforming it from drab to decadent.
The trend is being driven by a growing fibre-centric movement as well as by nostalgia. On social media, recipe creators are experimenting with everything from miso versions to sour cherry and pistachio butter toppings. At 26 Grains, a central London restaurant that specialises in porridge, this month’s offering includes a five-grain porridge topped with fig and red grape jam and a dollop of whipped cream.
Over at Oatis in west London, toppings range from caramelised banana and tahini to mushrooms and pesto. Alex Hely-Hutchinson, the founder of 26 Grains, describes porridge as “comfort in a bowl”. Part of its appeal, she says, is that it allows a “moment for pause in a busy world” – plus most people know how to make it.
It is a trend that is affecting home store cupboards. Searches for organic jumbo oats at Ocado are up 98% year on year while sales of White’s jumbo oats are up 56%. Hedié Rhodes, the founder of the UK’s first dedicated cereals bakery, Husk & Honey in south London, describes the “personalisation aspect” of porridge as an instigator of the trend.
Her brand, which began in 2015 specialising in granola, now also sells dedicated porridge blends. Bestsellers include cinnamon bark and cranberry and a spiced apple version. Some might want it just with honey, others might want to add really fancy toppings.” Alex Hayes, a co-founder of the food innovation studio Harris and Hayes, compares porridge to salads and smoothies.
While protein mania isn’t slowing down, the online nutrition trend of “fibremaxxing” is encouraging more people to up their fibre intake. The NHS recommends adults should eat 30g of fibre a day, but according to the British Dietetic Association the average intake is only 18g. Oats are a source of the soluble fibre that is essential for gut health and can also help reduce cholesterol levels.
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