I entered the World Porridge Making Championship, for the third time and finally won! I’m now a genuine World Champion.
I had previously entered in 2022 and 2023, making the Grand Final in 2023. I’m delighted to have gone one better this year, becoming the first Scottish porridge making champion in 11 years.
The World Porridge Making Championship has been held in Carrbridge for 31 years, it takes place at the start of October and features 30 competitors from all over the world. Anyone can enter, amateurs and professionals alike so if you fancy a go, enter on the Golden Spurtle website.
The World Porridge Making Championships consists of 6 heats and then a Grand Final. You have to make a Traditional Porridge, using only oats, water & salt, and a Speciality Dish, which can be anything using oat. You have 30 minutes to make both dishes, simultaneously, using a 2-ring gas burner. It’s pretty tricky to do and fairly intense with the 100-strong crowd watching on.
6 winners from the heats then compete again in the Grand Final, where you have another 30 minutes to make just your traditional porridge.
It’s a great day out and a lot of fun. It’s also interesting inventing a new speciality dish each year. In the past I have made Butternut Squash & Sage Oat Risotto, oat Cranachan Ravioli Dolce and Dairy-free Lemon Posset.
My World Champion Winning Porridge recipe uses a mix of oatmeal, pinhead oats, water and Himalayan Pink Salt. The trick is to cook it to a very precise temperature!
Since winning I have been in various newspapers as well as live radio interviews in Scotland and Ireland!
I’ll be back next year to defend my title and to try and win the Speciality Competition too! Get yourself a spurtle and have a go!
