Pour the milk into a heavy-based pan and add the porridge oats. Simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the oats are cooked through and the porridge is smooth. Add the instant oats and some more milk if the mixture is too thick, then let the porridge cook for another couple of minutes. You may want to add more milk or water at this stage, depending on how you like it.

Serve with a generous helping of stewed fruits (see below) and drizzle your sweetener of choice – golden syrup, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup or pomegranate molasses – across the top to finish.

Stewed fruits

A bowl of stewed fruits is great to keep in the fridge on standby at any time of year – not just for topping porridge once the cold weather arrives, but for instant puddings, to go with yoghurt or simply for snacking.

An autumnal version might include a mix of fresh and dried fruits, such as apples, blackberries and pears, with figs, apricots and prunes, but it could equally be just apples, sugar and cinnamon or apples and pears. A winter mix might feature more dried fruits, while in summer you could take advantage of the stone fruits and poach some nectarines and/or peaches with vanilla.

Mix everything together in a bowl and let it stand for a while if you have time. Otherwise, skip straight to the chase and put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on a low heat for a good 30 minutes. Leave to cool and to steep before transferring to a Kilner jar or similar to store in the fridge.

Bill's porridge:
Serves 1

300ml milk or milk and water
50g porridge oats
1 tbsp instant porridge

Stewed fruits:
Serves 8–10