About 68 kg of processed oats was used to create the world's largest batch of oatmeal at The Forks on Friday. The feat is pending verification by Guinness. (Chris Kitching, QMI Agency)

WINNIPEG - With a breakfast of this size, you're going to need a bigger spoon.

Pending verification by Guinness World Records, members of Manitoba's agriculture industry have set a new mark for the largest bowl of oatmeal.

The unusual feat was achieved during Agriculture in the City's opening ceremonies at The Forks on Friday.

At 327.5 kg, the record-setting batch eclipses the previous mark of 171.9 kg, which was set in Manchester, England.

Organizers said the goal of the event, conducted in front of dozens of students, was to encourage people to eat breakfast -- said to be the most important meal of the day -- promote healthy eating and the work of Manitoba's oat growers and processors, and raise awareness about Canada's oat research.

"We're excited to ... bring this record to Manitoba, where we have so many oat producers producing such high-quality food oat," said Dr. Nancy Ames, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Once dozens of litres of water came to a boil in a 400-litre pot, participants added about 68 kg of locally-grown oats, which were processed in Portage la Prairie at Can-Oat Milling, a division of Viterra.

With non-stop stirring, it took about 12 minutes for the porridge to thicken and become table-ready.

Samples were given to the students and visitors. The rest was given to two inner-city shelters.

Agriculture in the City is a free, three-day event at Forks Market, which concludes Sunday and aims to educate city folks about food science and farming.

There are various exhibits, activities for kids and cooking demonstrations, among other things.