The arrival of a pop-up porridge cafe in London's trendy Shoreditch, and the media hype surrounding it, has exposed a couple of raw nerves north of the border.

The porridge cafe's serving 25 sweet and savoury grain-based dishes made not only with oats but also with 10 other types of grains including quinoa, spelt, Arborio rice and buckwheat. The idea has been copied from a similar outlet in Copenhagen. I'm not knocking this innovative attempt at persuading consumers to eat such ancient and healthy grains, which have long been known for their high fibre, high protein and low GI; but Scandinavia is not the only place that has clocked the importance of its ancient indigenous grains. Oatmeal, beremeal and peasemeal porridge have been part of the Scots diet since ancient times, and they're experiencing something of a renaissance among gourmands. It would be good to see the wonderful old revived mills of Alford and Golspie listed as suppliers at the London cafe, or Scots oatmeal brands like Stoats and Hamlyn being name-checked on its menu. Perhaps some hip young entrepreneur might open a similar outlet here, though given some consumers' tendency to under-rate anything that's homegrown, I wonder whether he'd a guaranteed a similar hero's welcome.

It also highlights the plight of the Scottish potato, equally ancient and equally beneficial in terms of health, yet so desperately in need of help.

This weekend sees the first planting out of our prized Ayrshire Earlies, the delicious little thin-skinned new potatoes for whom protected geographical status is currently being sought to put them on a par with Jersey Royals. Ayrshire New Potatoes, which have been grown in Girvan since the 1850s, are unique to Scotland and to Ayrshire. The arrival in shops of these Epicures from late May will see food geeks twitching in anticipation of their first taste of Earlies' delicate earthy flavour, delivered via their papery skin. The fact that they're only available for a short season because they don't store well makes them all the more sought-after.

Contrast this with a crisis meeting scheduled for Monday [march 16], where growers, merchants, retailers, the Potato Council and the National Farmers' Union Scotland will get together in Edinburgh to address significant problems currently facing the fresh maincrop potato industry.

A massive glut following a bumper season, exacerbated by a dramatic drop in consumption, means there are around 200,000 tonnes of last year's tatties - Maris Pipers, King Edwards, Rooster, Kestrel - still in storage. I've heard whispers that some growers are actually begging supermarkets to promote their potatoes with BOGOFs and other cut-price deals, only to be refused because they say they can hardly give them away as it is (although I have to say I haven't seen prices come down in my local shops). Given that BOGOFs are usually the bane of producers' lives because it means their revenue is further slashed, things must be pretty bad. So bad that they're dumping good eating potatoes in fields for animal feed.

Actually growers across the UK have already been urged to cut back on planting this year's crops by at least 10% to give shops a chance to shift the backlog and to prevent a second glut. This figure matches the drop in consumption of fresh potatoes and since more Scottish potatoes go south of the Border than English ones come north, it could mean the future of the Scottish potato industry is at risk.

Grain-based diets are not the only culprits: consumers are shifting to rice, pasta and noodles too - attracted by their convenience, their snazzy packaging and their relentless in-store cut-price promotions. Despite potatoes' fantastic health properties compared to these rival carbohydrates - they contain three times more potassium than bananas, for example - we're each eating around 20kg fewer fresh potatoes each year than we did 20 years ago.

The current problem also partly arises from previous nutritional advice that potatoes were unhealthy "starchy carbs" along with bread and pasta. Dietary charts in GP waiting rooms and schools advised that they be eaten only in moderation, and always complemented by fresh vegetables.

That perception must now be reversed. Since the retail potato market is dominated by the supermarkets - worth £2.3bn a year, excluding crisps and snacks, with fresh potatoes accounting for £1.4bn - an aggressive advertising campaign coupled with in-store promotions would help stimulate consumption. If potatoes were accepted as a vegetable for the 'five-a-day' then health professionals and politicians might join in.

A move away from plastic packaging to rustic brown bags would emphasise that potatoes have on-trend field-to-fork and slow-food credentials, while changing the negative assumption that they take too long to cook. The Michelin starred chef Andrew Fairlie, an ambassador Albert Bartlett potatoes, told me that they're the most versatile vegetables in the world, and the number of new and heritage varieties grown in Scotland is fantastic. Each has a different attribute. He uses Pink Fir Apple for gnocchi because it's dry and floury; Apache for mash because it takes cream and butter well; Rooster because it's a good roaster and thickener.

Sexing up the spud may seem like a mountain to climb, but it can be done.