A new-found love of porridge last winter is responsible for milk consumption rising for the first time in three decades.

New figures from the Milk Development Council show that milk sales increased over the past 12 months as consumers ate more porridge, tea, coffee and cereals.

The return to favour of rolled oats could be attributed to the popularity of low GI (glycaemic index) diets. It advocates low-fat dairy products and extols the nutritional virtues of porridge, which contains slow release carbohydrate.

Sales of oats are now worth £79 million a year and are fast approaching the £83 million spent annually on Weetabix, Britain’s most popular breakfast cereal.

Porridge sales this winter went up by 25 per cent, while hot drinks - mainly tea and coffee rose by 17 and 8 per cent respectively.

A decade ago, 20 billion litres of milk were sold a year, but that figure fell to a low of about 4.3 billion litres in 2003. They have recovered to around 4.5 billion litres, the council said.

The jump has also been attributed to successful targeting of groups such as teenage girls, three-quarters of whom do not get enough calcium in their diet, according to the Milk Council.

Liz Broadbent, its market development director, said: "It’s down to an increase in the frequency of buying milk rather than people buying more during each shopping trip."

Research has also revealed a growing number of people who drink very little milk. These "dairy dodgers" did not develop a taste for milk because they went to school after free supplies were stopped to pupils in the late 1970s.

They include people from more affluent groups, including single professionals and young parents.

"They don’t have a milk-drinking habit and are passing that on to the next generation," Mrs Broadbent said. "They account for around half of the population but consume only a quarter of the volume.

She said they had no attachment to milk and had to be convinced why they should drink it: "Cost is not an issue but providing milk in a form they like, when they want it and where they want it are all crucial."

The council relaunched milk schemes five years ago in primary and secondary schools in a bid to re-establish a milk-drinking culture in the present generation. More than one million children now consume 20 million litres of milk at school.

The drink is an important source of calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth. Insufficient calcium can lead to osteoporosis - brittle bone disease - in later life.

At least 2.5 million young people and women do not consume enough milk. The Dairy Council recommends people have three portions of milk, yoghurt and cheese a day.

Farmers may not benefit from the sales boost, however. Figures from the milk council show that supermarkets' margins on have improved from 8p to 10p per litre, while farm-gate prices have fallen by about 6p per litre, meaning that farmers are paid less for their milk than they were 20 years ago.

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