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The Story of Oats
The story of oats is the story of a food that’s been enjoyed the world over for thousands of years.
It was one of the first cereals cultivated by man and oats were recorded as being grown in China as far back as 7,000 BC, while the ancient Greeks were believed to be the first to make porridge from oats (so it really is a Classic breakfast!).
However, it was the Romans who introduced oats to other countries in Western Europe, as well as other cultivated crops which they named ‘cereals’, after Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture.
Most households also held stores of oats to use for porridge, bread and importantly, as a key ingredient for making black puddings.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, oats became more popular when they were mixed with whiskey as a cure for the common cold. Also at that time, porridge became a more popular breakfast dish and this was promoted by the establishment of commercial oatmeal producers like Flahavan's, in the eighteenth century.
Up to about the 1800s, the milled oats that people used in their homes were a coarser grain than the porridge oat-flakes we know today. Tastes change over time and porridge is now mostly made with the finer-milled oat-flakes we all have in our kitchen cupboards.
With today’s busy lifestyles, there’s much more awareness of the value of simple, natural foods. No surprise then that more and more people are opting to include oats in their diet, through porridge oats, muesli, in baking, in desserts and in a range of other recipes.
Since those early days of its cultivation, porridge oats have changed little and has remained a consistent, wholesome food for people all over the world. The humble oat really should take a bow!
Find out more about our GMO & Glyphosate Quality Statements »
A wonderful bounty of nature
The high-quality oats that we use here at Flahavan’s are grown within an 60-mile radius of our home.
Traditionally, they are sown in the winter and harvested when they are fully ripe the following Autumn.
The land here is ideal for growing oats and with their generations of experience, our farmers know exactly when to harvest it for the perfect yield. That wonderful bounty of nature, field-fresh oats, brought to our Mill at harvest time.
We operate to stringent food safety and quality standards, and are FSSC 22000 and BRC (FSMA) certified. As an Irish manufacturer our products also carry the Love Irish Food and the Guaranteed Irish symbols.
Our Oats, Explained.
The unique way we roll, kiln and steam our oats here at Flahavan’s means you’ll enjoy the perfect taste and texture every time.
Progress Oatlets / Rolled Oats
100% rolled Flahavan’s Oats cook in about 5 minutes and are the perfect, sustaining breakfast cereal.
Quick Oats
Rolled even finer than progress oatlets for the convenience of cooking them quicker in a microwave in just 2 minutes.
Jumbo
Jumbo Oats are a larger oat flake made from the whole uncut oat that is rolled. These are ideally suited for a heartier serving with more bite, or as an ingredient in muesli or cooking.
Pinhead / Steelcut Oats
Flahavan’s Pinhead oats are cut rather than rolled, for a heartier more traditional serving. Taking roughly thirty minutes to cook, the rich and creamy taste is worth the wait!