Entries are now open for the 25th annual world porridge making championships in the Highland village of Carrbridge.
It 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 “golden spurtle” trophy is awarded to the contestant judged 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.
And she is planning to return to Carrbridge to defend her title.
In addition to 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 judges with his dish of “Nordic porridge,” a caramel sweet and sour made with oatmeal, cloudberry liqueur, orange peel and whipped cream.
The competition, organised by Carrbridge Community Council, will take place in the village on Saturday, October 6.
Organiser Michelle Green confirmed that this year’s event will also have a commemorative recipe book featuring some of the recipes from the last 25 years.
Judging this year’s 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 Gleneagles.
