Entries open for 25th annual World Porridge Making Championships

Entries for the 25th Annual World Porridge Making Championships open on Saturday (31 March), with the organisers anticipating a high level of interest from porridge aficionados from all over the world.

The competition will take place in the highland village of Carrbridge on Saturday 6th October. 

The World Porridge Making Championships is one of the most popular events in Scotland’s culinary calendar, with professional and amateur chefs, food producers, food bloggers, small business owners and home cooks from all over the world vying for the title. 

The coveted title of World Porridge Making Champion, and the Golden Spurtle trophy, is awarded to the contestant deemed to have made the best traditional porridge using just three ingredients – oatmeal, water and salt. 

The current champion is Ellinor Persson, a steel industry worker from Sweden, who runs foodie tours in the woods, fields and speciality restaurants around her local town of Halmstaad in South West Sweden in her spare time. Ellinor, who is planning to return to Carrbridge to defend her title, won the 2017 championships in an international field which also included competitors from the USA, Russia, Switzerland, Holland, Iceland and from across the UK and Ireland.

As well as the traditional porridge competition, there is also a speciality category for oatmeal combined with any other ingredients, leading to a wide variety of sweet and savoury entries. The current speciality winner is also a Swede, Per Carlsson, who impressed the judges with his dish of Nordic Porridge – Caramel Sweet and Sour, a porridge made with oatmeal, cloudberry liqueur, orange peel and whipped cream. 

Judging the entries will be Colin Bussey, former head chef at Gleneagles, Lydie Bocquillon, classically taught French chef and owner of the Auld Alliance in Kingussie, and Neil Mugg, chef lecturer at Perth College UHI and former Head Pastry Chef at Glengeagles. Moray Firth Radio presenter, Farmer Jones, will MC this year’s event. 

The World Porridge Making Championships is organised by Carrbridge Community Council, and is sponsored by Hamlyn’s of Scotland, producers of Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal and Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats. 

Organiser Michelle Green said: “It’s hugely exciting for the World Porridge Making Championships to be celebrating our 25th anniversary, and we have lots of special things planned alongside the competition including a food fayre, a commemorative recipe book, featuring some of the recipes from the last 25 years, and a cookery demonstration in the Village Hall the night before the event.

Managing Director Alan Meikle said: “Hamlyns of Scotland is absolutely delighted to continue our sponsorship of the World Porridge Making Championships, and we’re really looking forward to the enhanced programme which the organisers are putting together for the 25thanniversary.

Full details of the event and a range of high quality images are available on the event website goldenspurtle.com and from James Ross via this link: http://www.pbase.com/carrhighlander/golden_spurtle_porridge_world_championship_2017. Please credit James Ross if you are using his images.

Ends

For further information please contact:

Michelle Green                                Louise Harley

Tel: 07889 034678                          Tel: 07803 905776