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Results 2009

Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship 2009
Sunday October  11
Carrbridge
World Porridge Making Champion 2009 & Winner of the prestigious Golden Spurtle Trophy

American Matthew Cox wins the title of World Porridge Making Champion 2009 to take the prestigious Golden Spurtle trophy.
Local contender, Ian Bishop from Carrbridge – 2008 champion made it to the final cook off but beaten by the American from Bob’s Red Mill, Natural Foods, Oregon, USA
The American was delighted with his success. He commented: “We came  over here to celebrate our passion for porridge with the Scots and we are just elated to win the world title. We  have had any amazing time in Carrbridge and there’s no doubt will be back again next year to defend the title.”
The Golden Spurtle Trophy was presented by Miss Scotland, Katharine Brown and The official Burns for Homecoming, Christopher Tait.

About a thousand people attended the championship and joined in the other activities during the day with the village hall packed to capacity to watch the porridge-makers in action.

MATTHEW COX
Bob’s Red Mill Natural  Foods
SE Pheasant Court, Milwaukie,  Oregon USA
Cyclist and  whole grain  expert , Matthew Cox  from Milwaukie flew over from the USA to represent Bob’s Red Mill Natural  Foods –  a leading  manufacturer of more than 300 whole  grain products available throughout the US and Canada.

SPECIALITY WINNER

ANNA LOUISE BATCHELOR
Reading. www.twitter.com/Porridgelady
Speciality recipe: Steamed porridge spotted dick with  custard
Environmental researcher  from Reading
Anna Louise’s novel recipe won over the judges – steamed porridge spotted dick with  custard.

MEDIA RELEASE
AMERICAN, Matthew Cox beat off  tough competition to take the title of World Porridge Making Champion 2009  as expert porridge makers from far and wide gathered in the Scottish Highland  village of Carrbridge on Sunday to compete for the coveted Golden Spurtle trophy.
As well as taking on the world title  the American porridge making champion was presented with a £350 hotel  voucher and £250 spending money from the event’s main sponsors, oatmeal  producers Hamlyns of Scotland.

In the speciality category, the first  prize went to Anna- Louise Batchelor from Reading  for her  novel  recipe  of steamed porridge spotted Dick with custard.
The 16th annual championship  attracted a strong line up of competitors from across Scotland as well as other  parts of the UK along with  international competitors from Sweden, Canada  and the USA. They included professional chefs, guest  house owners, professional caterers and porridge enthusiasts all keen to prove they could make the perfect bowl of porridge.

This year’s panel of judges was headed up by George McIvor and Colin Bussey of  the Master Chefs of Great Britain joined by guest judge, TV presenter and cookery writer, Nell Nelson  from the TV series, The Woman Who Ate Scotland.

The annual contest is organised  by Carrbridge Community Council whose chairman, Mr Scott Bruce was delighted at  the continued success of the event. “Once  again there was a very high standard of competition and some very tense moments  especially when it came to the final cook off with Scotland, Canada, England and  the USA all represented,” he said.

The  skills of the porridge-makers was also commented on by Alan Meikle, managing director of the event’s main sponsors, Hamlyns of Scotland who congratulated the American on his success and all the competitors on their efforts which had helped made it such an exciting and closely fought  contest.  “The  World Porridge Making Championship is firmly established as a key event in Scotland’s culinary calendar and we are very pleased to have this year  welcomed an increased number of  international entries which gave the contest a truly global dimension” he said..

Robert  Burns declared porridge as “the Chief of Scotia’s food” and this year’s  championship had a special Burns theme to mark the 250th anniversary of the  poet’s birth.

This saw the official Home Coming  Burns, Christopher Tait  out and about during the day providing snippets of the poet’s verse. Miss  Scotland, Katharine Brown added an extra touch of glamour to the occasion and,  with Robert Burns, helped present the wining trophies.

MC for the day was Martyn  O’Reilly from Saltire International who as well as making sure all ran  smoothly entertained the audience in between heats with an impromptu whisky  tasting session.

The championship got off to a flying start with the official “Toast to the Porridge” and  parade of judges  and competitors led by the Badenoch and Strathspey Pipe  Band.
Among  the other highlights was the official launch of World Porridge Day – an  international celebration of Scotland’s traditional dish with charity fund  raising in aid of Mary’s Meals.

It is intended that World Porridge Day will become an annual event in  the international calendar with porridge fans across the world invited to  hold their own World Porridge Breakfast or other oatmeal-related  events to raise money for the Argyll-based charity.
Mary’s Meals, which started from a tin shed and now provides daily school meals for  more than 375,000 of the poorest children in 15 countries, was delighted that so  many people had joined in the spirit of  the first-ever World Porridge Day  with fund raising events  held in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London and as far afield as Bosnia, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi. Mary’s Meals volunteers were also at the World Porridge Making Championship providing sample tastings  of the maize flour and ground soy bean Likuni Phalaikuni porridge mix which the charity provides to help feed children in Malawi.

Other added attractions included the Carrbridge Challenge Forest Run, sponsored by Remax Cairngorm, with fund raising for Maggie’s Highlands. This saw more than 130 competitors of all ages headed out on either a 3km or five km route along the woodland tracks and trails around Carrbridge. There was also a minis fun run with commemorative medals for all the competitors and spurtles for the winners of each of the main categories. The run  started with a mass aerobic warm up led by local fitness instructor, Sam Bain.
Other events during the  day included stalls,  live music,  product tastings and  foodie art workshops.

ENDS