Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship

The 31st World Porridge Making Championship

A cook-off drawing competitors from across the globe to compete making our favourite oaty dish!

The first Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships were held in Carrbridge on Sunday, 11th September, 1994 and the 25th on 6th October 2018.

Apart from the traditional porridge making event there is also a trophy for the best ‘Speciality Porridge’, where competitors add a choice of ingredients to their porridge base. Today the Speciality porridge making section attracts a great deal of attention as the dishes become more and more creative, from savoury oatmeal bangers with porridge mash to blackbean patties.

Over the years the competition grew partly due to increased recognition of porridge as a healthy, tasty and affordable food; the hard work of the organisers; but also due to the increased coverage and interest on the Internet, social media and global news coverage of the event; leading to more international competitors competing. In 2009 Matthew Cox from Oregon, USA was the first overseas competitor to win the Golden Spurtle and in 2010 Catherine Caldwell from Canada won the speciality porridge making section. Overseas competitors have come from many countries including Sweden, Ireland, Canada and the USA.

The introduction of a celebrity judge is a more recent addition to help promote the event to new audiences and ensure different opinions in the judges tasting room. Guest judges have included media personalities and food writers.

In 2009 to further promote porridge the Golden Spurtle organisers established the international World Porridge Day (WPD) to encourage people to organise local porridge events to raise money for charity. Mary’s Meals was selected as the suggested charity, as they raise money to feed children a fortified porridge meal in some of the world’s poorest communities at a cost per year of just £12.20 per child (2014 figure). Mary’s Meals now feed over 890,000 hungry children across 16 countries every day with WPD being an important event to promote their work. World Porridge Day is on the 10th of October (i.e. 10/10) every year and is now organised by Mary’s Meals.

The Championships are organised and run by Carrbridge Community & Vicinity volunteers in collaboration with Carr-Bridge Ahead and the community council with the objective to promote Carrbridge and celebrate Porridge as a wholesome food.

For more information please head to https://www.goldenspurtle.com