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A diverse group of individuals from across the globe is gearing up to compete in the World Porridge Making Championship, set in the Highland village of Carrbridge. Among the contestants are a bakery owner from San Francisco, a retired British Army officer, a newly qualified Scottish lawyer, a US Marine veteran, an Edinburgh-based artist, and a teacher from Fife, alongside a 2026 MasterChef UK finalist. This event, renowned for its celebration of porridge, has captured widespread interest, doubling its previous record number of entrants.
The aim for all participants is to claim the coveted Golden Spurtle, a large wooden stirrer traditionally used to mix porridge, soups, and stews, which serves as the trophy for the competition. The championship’s rising popularity is partly attributed to the documentary “The Golden Spurtle,” which highlighted the unique personalities of the competitors, the intense rivalries, and iconic figures like Carrbridge local Ian Bishop and the renowned “queen of porridge,” Lisa Williams. This exposure has motivated competitors from 14 countries — including Australia, the Czech Republic, South Africa, the USA, Norway, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, as well as the UK and Ireland — to participate.
Among the contenders is the defending world champion Sven Seljom from Norway, who will compete in the traditional porridge category, where porridge must be made using only oatmeal, water, and salt. “The village and the organisers are doing such a tremendous job and it was the greatest experience of my life winning the title last year,” he said enthusiastically. Besides the main contest, there is a speciality porridge category allowing participants to experiment with additional ingredients, producing inventive sweet and savory dishes. Caroline Velik from Australia, last year’s speciality winner, created porridge jaffles—flatbreads filled with porridge, rum-soaked bananas, toffee rum liqueur, and coated in plum sugar.
The overall event is overseen by Porridge Chieftain Alan Rankin, who remarked on the unprecedented number of entries for this year’s competition: “The documentary has introduced the competition, Carrbridge, and the wonderful world of porridge to a whole new audience, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming this year’s competitors to the village.” Among the international participants will be Robert Reid, Australia’s first national porridge champion, who described his journey as surreal. “My dad is Scottish, so porridge has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. The sense of community at the Pearly Spurtle was incredible, I’m excited to now have the chance to do them proud in Carrbridge,” he said. Reid also shared the family tradition behind his love for salted porridge, passed down from his Scottish granny and father. He proudly added that he will bring his father’s treasured Scottish spurtle to the competition as a symbol of his heritage
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