STOATS, the Edinburgh food company, is expecting a sales boost as its instant porridge pots are being stocked in almost 100 Waitrose stores across the UK.

While the products, which just need hot water added to them and come in three flavours, have been available in the supermarket's Scottish estate the extended listing will see them on shelves in English and Welsh stores for the first time.

Across its five Scottish locations Waitrose is also stocking new flavours – apricot and sultana, sunflower and poppy, classic Scottish and apple and cinnamon - of boxed porridge from Stoats.

Stoats was founded in 2005 by school friends Tony Stone and Bob Arnott.

The pair toured musical festivals with their own mobile porridge cart and the demand from those events led on to the creation of a retail range.

Mr Stone said: "Our porridge oat bars have been a huge hit in Scotland so we're really happy that Waitrose shoppers across the UK can now buy our products."

Tracey Marshall, from Waitrose, said Stoats was likely to benefit from a growing demand for easy to use porridge.

She said: "Our porridge sales have gone up by over 30% year on year, which has been driven by instant porridge sales.

"Our customers want a portable, on-the-go breakfast that delivers lots of healthy benefits in one convenient little package."

Stoats products are also stocked in Dobbies and Scotmid and in independent retail outlets around Scotland including the likes of Valvona & Crolla and Berits and Brown.

In the most recent abbreviated accounts for Stoats Porridge Bars the company recorded a retained profit of around £21,000 in the 12 months to April 30, 2012.