It's the great leveller, porridge. It's one food that almost everyone agrees on. It's hard to argue that there's a better way to start the day. And as we face into what looks likely to be a bitter winter, porridge seems to be growing in popularity, with its previously boring image now buoyed by celebrity-endorsement and more interesting and exotic ways to serve up a previously plain breakfast dish. Chefs are reinventing it, and everywhere from five-star hotels to fast food chains are putting it back on their breakfast menus.

So what made porridge cool again? Food is going back to basics. Casseroles and stews are working their way into our daily menus again. Butchers are talking about selling cuts of meat that no one would touch five years ago. Gastronomic restaurants are closing down and are being replaced by simpler brassieres. Part of the reason for this is obviously economic, but it's psychological too. It feels natural to return to what we know best, and the comfort factor with porridge is extremely high, as is the other big trend in food at the moment – nostalgia. And Kate Moss has it every morning. Which makes a change from what she used to take every morning.

In recent years, the traditional food pyramid that dictated our daily intake has morphed from a heavily carb-based one to a more protein heavy one, but the consistent health benefits of oats have never really been questioned.

A spokeswoman for porridge maker Flahavans says: "Wholegrains are very beneficial in the diet because they help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, several forms of cancer and some gastrointestinal problems. The risk of both heart disease and diabetes may be up to 30% lower in people who regularly eat wholegrains as part of a low-fat diet and healthy lifestyle." She adds that a breakfast roll has eight times the calories and 33 times the fat value of a bowl of porridge. Yikes.

So how do you take yours? Are you partial to some Heston Blumenthal snail porridge, or are you more of a fan of Neven Maguire's boozy Blacklion porridge, that features lashings of Irish Mist?

The new executive chef at the Burlington Hotel, Richie Wilson, believes porridge is becoming very much a matter of personal taste. Formerly of the Morrison Hotel, Wilson was well-used to rock stars and other celebrities putting their own twist on a bowl of oats.

"They're big into it with a thing called agave syrup or nectar," Wilson explains. "Agave is made from a cactus plant, the same one that makes tequila actually, and it's very much like honey or golden syrup. It has a lower glycaemic index so it's a good substitute for a sweetener because it's not artificial. It also has all these healing properties celebrities like."

It doesn't come cheap though. Wilson says he bought a 150g tube last week for €6, while a 10kg tub costs €148. But the celebrity demands don't end there. "They're all on this rice milk buzz as well," says Wilson.

Wilson himself has a more simple approach – soak porridge overnight with a pinch of salt, cook it with milk and add some cream."

Michelin-starred chef Dylan McGrath also keeps his porridge simple. "For me, porridge is something from childhood, so I would be as old-fashioned as to use milk, sugar and salt," he says.

"In some respects, it's a little bit of comfort, with the milk and sugar around the sides, eating it from the outside in as the milk cools down the outside and it's really hot in the middle."

As for further use for the oat, McGrath isn't too enthusiastic. "You could use porridge instead of arborio rice in a risotto – the concept works in terms that you cook it at lot less. For me, it's about giving somebody something to eat that sustains them and is filling. I personally feel it should be left alone."

When McGrath says something is better kept the way it has always been, then you know that's probably what you should do, but that hasn't stopped an array of extra accompaniments to a no-longer traditional breakfast dish – berries, honeycomb, rice milk, agave, stewed apple, vanilla, sliced pears soaked in rum, cinnamon, ginger or saffron... the list goes on.

Last year in the UK, Quaker Oats reported a 200% rise in sales. Even though it's been around since Goldilocks was picky, it certainly isn't going anywhere soon.

Stir crazy: Recipes with a twist

Catherine Fulvio's Orchard Porridge

Serves 6

Topping:
15 pecans or walnut halves
1 tbsp Irish honey

Porridge:
875ml cold water
200g porridge
1 tsp salt
60g brown sugar
60g raisins
280ml apple juice
1 large soft apple (not Granny Smith)
½ tsp of ground cinnamon
165ml double cream (or replace with milk for a lighter touch)
165ml milk

In a saucepan, add the cold water, salt and porridge. Bring to the boil and simmer until the porridge is quite thick and slightly softened. This should take about five minutes. In the meantime, peel and finely chop the apple. Then stir in the raisins, apple, apple juice, cinnamon and brown sugar. Bring to boil again, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer until the apples are softened.

Add cream and milk as required to reach the preferred consistency. Heat through. Transfer to serving bowl and top with toasted nuts, dry-fried and coated with honey.

Neven Maguire's Blacklion Porridge with Irish Mist

Serves 4

4oz porridge oats (organic)
½ pint whole fat milk
¼ pint cream
4 dessertspoons honey
4 dessertspoons Irish mist

Simmer the porridge oats and milk together in a saucepan for eight to 10 minutes, stirring all the time until the mixture is slightly thickened and smooth.

To serve, spoon the porridge into a bowl. Drizzle some honey and Irish mist over and serve with cream if wished.