Risking Scotland's wrath, an Aussie competitive porridge-maker shares his secrets
In 1994, Roger Reed of the Carrbridge Community Council was looking for a way to attract visitors to his small village in the Scottish Highlands. Other British towns had already snapped up the world championships in conkers, tiddlywinks and marbles. But porridge – a local staple – was yet unclaimed.
The result was the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, a charmingly offbeat event that has stirred up enough attention to put Carrbridge on the culinary map, while giving one of the world's humblest breakfast foods a moment in the spotlight.
Three decades on, the competition continues to draw oat obsessives from around the globe, who compete in gruelling heats in pursuit of the perfect bowl of porridge. The winner takes home the Golden Spurtle, a trophy shaped like the traditional Scottish stirring stick used to smooth out lumps in oatmeal.
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Among past contenders is Toby Wilson, executive chef at Sydney's Norfolk Hotel and founder of Ricos Tacos, a 2025 Good Food Guide Critic's Pick restaurant. Wilson has twice reached the finals, representing Australia in 2022 and 2023, and features in The Golden Spurtle, a documentary now screening in this year's Sydney Film Festival.
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