News Update June

Scotland’s most famous poet, Robert Burns declared porridge as being the “Chief of Scotia’s Food“… And while over the years there has always been plenty of debate as to the best way to cook the perfect traditional Scottish porridge using just oatmeal, water and salt, it seems that most fans of Scotland’s traditional national dish have their own favourite recipe.

The list is endless from simply adding a spoon of honey to all kinds of fruits while others believe it to be almost obligatory to perk up their porridge with a wee dram of whisky. Some of the more exotic ideas we have come across include porridge with seafood along with Thai curry porridge with Heston Blumenthal’s snail porridge totally stretching the boundaries of creativity.

What is equally interesting is to how many different versions of porridge there are across the world and the traditions that go with it. We came across an article  telling of the cult following and traditions of porridge in Russia. http://tinyurl.com/3a6tc2a

We already have a variety of additions to our own ever growing porridge/ oatmeal recipe collection examples of which can be found in our recipe section.  We welcome contributions to our recipe collection which can be emailed direct to  worldporridge@aol.com

Meanwhile, competition is hotting up for the 2010 World Porridge Making Championship being held in Carrbridge on Sunday October 10 2010 – the iconic date 10.10.10.

2009 winner Matt Cox from Bob’s Red Mill, Oregon has confirmed he will be returning to defend his world porridge making champion title while last year’s  Speciality Porridge winner, Anna Louise Batchelor is also busily working on new recipes for this year’s contest.

Others joining the line up include Pia Redin winner of the first Nordic Porridge Cooking Competition held recently in Sunne in Sweden and Canadian competitor, Calgary-based cookery and foodie writer, Catherine Caldwell.

We are on the hunt for other worthy contenders. So if you think you have the skills to make the perfect bowl of porridge we want to hear from you. Entry forms for this year’s contest can be found under the competition section on the goldenspurtle.com  website.

Sunday October 10 is also World Porridge Day – an international celebration of Scotland’s traditional national dish with porridge enthusiasts across the globe invited to host a porridge / oatmeal event to help raise funds the small Scottish-based charity, Mary’s Meals. www.marysmeals.org

The charity, which started from a tin shed in Argyllshire in the south west of Scotland, works in 15 countries providing daily school meals for more than 400,000 of the world’s poorest and most neediest children. World Porridge Day was officially launched last year to coincide with the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship. It was a great success and got  off to a flying start with porridge ambassadors across the world joining in the spirit of the event and organising their own World Porridge Breakfast or other oatmeal related events to raise money for Mary’s Meals.

If you are wanting to join in this year’s World Porridge Day celebration, please email us at worldporridge@aol.com and tell us about your event and when and where it is to be held so as we can add it to the World Porridge Day events calendar.

Finally, while talking about Mary’s Meals and the tremendous work the charity undertakes, we would like to say a big thank you to Steven Camley – the Scottish Press Awards Cartoonist of the Year.

Steven created a cartoon which appeared in the Herald following last year’s World Porridge Making Championships. It depicted the US President, Barack Obama being presented the Golden Spurtle trophy -  a tongue in cheek comment on the US President being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Steven was kind enough to donate the original of his work to help raise funds for Mary’s Meals. Carrbridge Community Council made the highest bid and a cheque has duly been sent to Mary’s Meals.