Gaelic Singer Wins Golden Spurtle
Sunday 9 October 2011
High Resolution photos available for download here
A Gaelic singer from Strathglass has won the highly-coveted Golden Spurtle, the prize for winning the World Porridge Championship 2011. The first time entrant but life- long porridge maker was commended today in Carrbridge, where the event is held, for his outstanding porridge by the judges in the cook-off. Competitors’ porridge was judged on consistency, taste and colour..
John used medium oatmeal from Hamlyns of Scotland, a local oat mill, tap water from Carrbridge and salt. “There is no secret to my success, it is just knowing what good porridge looks like and stirring constantly until it is properly thick, when I then add the correct amount of salt,“ he explained.
An accomplished gaelic singer and gold medal finalist at the National Mod, John sings with Lothian Gaelic Choir. He enjoys cycle touring and has twice cycled between Land’s End and John o’ Groats, once in each direction. On each trip he carried oatmeal, salt and a spurtle to make a sustaining breakfast every day saying “I was undoubtedly helped along the way by a morning intake of porridge. The simplicity of using just one main ingredient makes it the only choice for cycle touring – it’s easy to carry enough to do breakfast for the whole week”.
Winner of the Speciality competition – where contestants are free to add other ingredients to porridge – was 2010 Golden Spurtle winner Neal Robertson owner and chef of Tannochbrae Tea-room, Auchtermuchty, who produced a Winter Spiced Porridge with blueberries, sugar and heather honey.
Neal said “I am absolutely delighted to win the Speciality Porridge Making Competition and can’t believe I have now won both competitions on back to back years. Having won the Golden Spurtle Trophy in 2010 my aim this year was to win the Speciality competition so I am over the moon to have carried off the title and reach the final for the main competition once again. To celebrate my win I will be having another tatoo done to match my 2010 tattoo, much to my wife, Jane’s disapproval.”
The event attracted porridge makers from around the globe with competitors from Sweden, Ireland, America and the UK, and from all walks of life, including an astrophysics student; a high flying managing director; a mill owner; mother of four, professional chefs and bed & breakfast proprietors.
Judging was done by two professional Masterchefs of Great Britain, George McIvor and Colin Bussey along with celebrity judge, Karen Mackenzie, producer and co-host of the Fred MacAulay Show on BBC Radio Scotland.
Neal’s winning Speciality Porridge
Winter Spiced Porridge with Blueberry Compote
Serves 2
For the compote
100g blueberries
40g golden caster sugar
For the porridge
80g medium oatmeal
300ml water
300ml single cream
a pinch of salt
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
2 dessert spoon heather honey
To make the compote, bring the berries and sugar to the boil until the berries burst and the sugar dissolves. Add more sugar to taste.
To make the porridge, toast the spices in the oven for 5 minutes to take away the rawness and set aside. Boil the oatmeal and water until the water is absorbed, then add all the other ingredients and cook until thickened.
Check seasoning and serve topped with the warmed compote.
*Notes to editors*
More info on our web site: *www.goldenspurtle.com*
More information contact Roy Brown: 0771 424 4142
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Press Release: Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships, Carrbridge
Issued Monday 3rd October
Embargoed: 24.00 Tuesday , 4th October
From California to Carrbridge for a good bowl of porridge.
Porridge makers from around the world are heading towards the home of the World Porridge Making Championships in the Highland village of Carrbridge. The 18th World Porridge Making Championship takes place on 9th October and will see competitors from Sweden, Ireland, America and the UK compete for the coveted Golden Spurtle.
Furthest flung competitors are Merry Graham and Patrick Potter who are travelling over 5,000 miles from California to Carrbridge. Merry beat off stiff opposition in the North American ‘qualifying’ heats run by Oregon based Bob’s Red Mill’ to win the all expenses paid trip to Scotland.
Competitors come from all walks of life including an astrophysics student; a Gaelic singer; a high flying managing director; a mill owner; mother of four, professional chefs and bed & breakfast proprietors.
The competition will determine what is judged to be the best bowl of traditional porridge made from nothing but oatmeal, salt and water. The competition will also crown the champion of the speciality porridge section where competitors have complete free reign to bring together other ingredients and flavours to traditional porridge to make their own creation. Speciality dishes in the past have included : Canadian Cran-Apple Crunch, Thai Curried Porridge, Oatmeal Bangers & Porridge Mash, Kedgeree Porridge and West Coast Seafood Porridge.
Judging is taken very seriously, as befits a world championship. Two professional Masterchefs of Great Britain, George McIvor and Colin Bussey sitting on the judging panel along with celebrity judge, Karen Mackenzie, producer and co-host of the Fred MacAulay Show on BBC Radio Scotland. Karen’s credentials being she was brought up in a bed & breakfast household where a large pan of porridge was on the stove at the start of every day.
The volunteer event organisers and residents of Carrbridge are looking forward to welcoming the competitors, spectators and press that the event attracts to the village hall. The village hall featured in the hit BBC programme Monarch of the Glen so is no stranger to the small screen and fame.
The event is open from 10.30am-4.00pm, with competitors and judges led to the hall by the Badenoch and Strathspey Pipe Band at 11.50am for the toast to the porridge and the start of the competition heats. The final cook off to decide the 2011 World Champion who carries off the Golden Spurtle takes place at 3.00pm. Cairngorms Farmers Market and local craft/produce stalls run throughout , in what is a day when the world beats a path to Carrbridge.
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Notes to editors
More information contact Roy Brown: 0771 424 4142
Photograph opportunity for prize winners at approximately 3.30pm on Sunday 9th October. Contact Roy Brown: 0771 424 4142
Rules
The World Porridge Making Championship title will be awarded to the competitor producing the best traditional porridge, made from oatmeal [pinhead, course, medium or fine].
The traditional porridge must be made with untreated oatmeal and not with oat flakes and with only water and salt. The judges will be strict on these rules.
Each competitor is required to produce at least 1 pint [500ml] of porridge which is to be divided into 3 portions for the judges to taste.
Judging of the porridge will be made on the consistency, taste and colour of the porridge.
A further award will be made for the best specialty porridge made with oatmeal [pinhead, course, medium or fine] which can have other ingredients added. This porridge should be made and presented at the same time as the traditional porridge.
For the specialty porridge, the blending and harmony of the porridge with the other ingredients will be the criteria used.
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SCOTS CALLED TO DEFEND WORLD PORRIDGE TITLE
Friday 26 August 2011
The organisers of the World Porridge Making Championship, held annually in Carrbridge in the Cairngorm National Park, are calling all Scots porridge makers to answer the call to defend the coveted Golden Spurtle trophy at this years event, which takes place on Sunday 9 October-
Shona Rankin, Co-ordinator of the event said: “The Scots have in the past defended their honour with claymores and muskets. Today we call upon Scots everywhere to safeguard the World Porridge Making Champion title and ensure it remains, along with the Golden Spurtle trophy, in it’s homeland for another year.”
Continuing, she added, “We’re absolutely thrilled to see that porridge makers around the globe are entering what is set to be a fierce competition but also want to remind our local porridge makers that the, without a fight, this slice of Highland tradition is more than likely going to be packing it’s bags and setting sail to some international destination once again!”
The Championships, now in its 18th year, has grown from humble beginnings into one of Scotland’s’ most renowned culinary cook offs and now draws an international contingent of competitors from Europe, America and further afield.
Entrants from overseas are currently honing their skills in a bid to represent their country. In the USA, Bob’s Red Mills have organised heats and a final cook off at their oat mill in Portland, Oregon with the winner set to fly to Carrbridge this October to compete.
Meanwhile previous winner Ian Bishop from Slochd near Carrbridge, spent time this summer judging at the Swedish Porridge Making Championships. Ian explained, “I had a marvellous time in Sweden and it was great to see such passion for our national dish. I look forward to welcoming the Swedish Porridge Champion to our village this coming October.”
Neal Robertson, proprietor of the Tannochbrae Tearoom, Auchtermuchty and the current “World Porridge Making Champion” is set to make a return at this years’ event to defend his title. He said:-
“ being World Porridge Making Champion 2010 has changed my life in that I have become a bit of local “celeb” in Fife and have even been recognised at Heathrow Airport! Expectations are running high for this year’s event but over the last year I have been conjuring up some great ideas using my spon (a double sided spurtle) and together with my Golden Spurtle tattoo, I know I am ready to defend my title!”
The title of World Porridge Making Champion will be awarded to the competitor producing the best traditional porridge, made from pinhead oatmeal, salt and water, with a further award being made for the best “Speciality Porridge.”
The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships is also encouraging all porridge enthusiasts around the globe to promote World Porridge Day on the 10th of October by hosting a World Porridge Breakfast to raise money for Mary’s Meals, who daily feed over 479,000 of the poorest school children in Malawi.
This years’ Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship takes place on the iconic date, 09.10.11 in Carrbridge. Further details can be found at www.goldenspurtle.com
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Notes to Editors:
- Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships 2011 Carrbridge Village Hall takes place on Sunday 9th October (11.30am – 4.30pm)
- Each competitor is required to produce at least 1 pint (500ml) of porridge which is divided into 3 portions for the judges to taste. The judges will be allowed to accompany the tasting with milk, cream, salt or white sugar. Judging of the porridge will be made on the consistency, taste and colour of the porridge.
- A further award will be made for the best specialty porridge. Some specialty dishes from the past have included:-West Coast Seafood Porridge with langoustine tails and smoked salmon, Clootie Dumpling with Gran’s custard, Savoury Oat Fritters, Oatmeal Bangers and Porridge Mash and Kedgeree Porridge.
Media Contact
Shona Rankin, Competition Co-ordinator
shonarankin@gmail.com
07554 662 820
Or
Roy Brown
roy@roybrown.co.uk
07714 244 142
