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SBS Australia
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'There's a glint in their eye': What it takes to produce the world's best porridge
Tucked in the Scottish Highlands is Carrbridge, a town most wouldn't even know exists if not for its strange claim to fame: the World Porridge Making Championship There's no prize money. Just a golden trophy shaped like a spurtle — a traditional Scottish utensil for stirring oats — and the glory of being crowned the world's best porridge maker. Sydney-based taco chef Toby Wilson was researching obscure food competitions when he came across The Golden Spurtle. He'd already found a roadkill cooking contest in West Virginia, United States, a fondue championship, and even one for testicles. But it was a quiet moment with a bowl of oats that inspired him to search for a porridge-making competition — and eventually, to fly to Carrbridge to compete. "They say the population is 700, but it feels like you only see 30 of them," Wilson tells SBS News. "I like to collect strange experiences," he says. "I'm a collector of these big fish, small pond experiences. I thought it would be fun to say I'm the World Porridge Champion." Sydneysider taco chef Toby Wilson made the trip to Carrbridge and cooked in the competition twice. On his first go, he claims he came second. Source: Supplied The first time he competed, Wilson placed in the top six. Or possibly second, depending on who you ask. "I was told I came second, but I couldn't verify that. But I'm just going to assume that I did." A year later, he returned to compete again. This time, he brought Melbourne-based writer and director Constantine Costi — who was making his first film — to help document the community that had unexpectedly charmed him. That film, The Golden Spurtle, has since sold out at major Copenhagen documentary film festival, CPH:DOX, Sydney Film Festival, and now this month's Melbourne International Film Festival. Porridge people Porridge, admittedly, is not the most exciting of foods. It's just three ingredients — oats, water and a dash of salt. But in the town of Carrbridge — located in Scotland's north-east and just an hour's drive from the British royal family residence Balmoral Castle — it represents much more. It's funny because it's such a boring dish, but all the people are so fascinating. "One of the previous winners has it tattooed on his arm," Wilson says. The competition draws an eclectic crowd. Among them: Adam Kiani, a fungus and mycology research coordinator; Nick Barnard, a wellness CEO determined to win; and reigning world champion Lisa Williams, whom Wilson was "weirdly starstruck" by. "There were people I'd read about who had won previous years … they're like porridge icons," he says. When it comes to the judging criteria, one judge, Neil Mugg, says good taste, colour, and texture are key. But everyone has their own technique. Some competitors wait for a gluggy bubble to guide them. Others, like Williams, trust sound. Wilson says he used to be an avid stirrer, but now lets the oats "do their thing". He says there's a superstition that you must stir clockwise to keep evil spirits at bay (and he does this, just in case). "I'm a chef by trade, so I feel like I need to be good at this," he says. 'You don't get that in Marrickville' For Wilson, the experience turned out to be more than just a quirky travel tale. "There were two big things I took from it," he says. "The first was how much focus I could put into mastering a simple dish. The second was the community." Wilson, who lives in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Marrickville — dubbed the second-coolest neighbourhood in Australia by Time Out in 2022 — says it was nice to be part of a small community where everyone knows and looks after each other. "Their differences didn't matter so much," he says. "I don't even know my next-door neighbours at home, and you're in this town, and everyone remembered me. "You don't get that in Marrickville." While many of Carrbridge's residents are older, he says the generation gap didn't seem to matter. "I'd be sitting between a 50-year-old and a 70-year-old, and literally the only thing we had in common was that we cook oats." We're the kind of people who see something like the World Porridge Making Championship and say, f--k it, that sounds fun. Aesthetically, The Golden Spurtle looks like it's been plucked from a BBC archive or that it's playing on an analogue television. Cinematographer Dimitri Zaunders opts for slow pans, colour and symmetry, dousing the film in Wes Anderson-esque petroleum. The documentary reflects that spirit. It's gentle, slightly absurd, and warm. Director and writer Costi — who has a background in opera — says porridge is simply a "Trojan horse" to tell the stories of the beautiful people in the Carrbridge community. "The hook for me was: how could something so seemingly basic on the palette be even vaguely interesting?" Costi says. The answer was in the people. There's Barbara, the head dishwasher of 25 years; Chris Price, the railway man who makes porridge "the Scottish way, with water"; the Porridge Committee; a pack of proud dishladies; and Neal Robertson, the aforementioned tattooed former world champion. Neal Robertson is a two-time winner of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship. He even got a tattoo to mark the occasion. Source: Supplied We also see Roger Reed, who founded the competition in 1994 and helped put Carrbridge on the map. He even has a street in the town named after him. "I was looking for an idea to promote the village," Reed says in the film. "And it came to me — porridge, the epitome of Scottish food. Can you make a competition out of making porridge?" While they're all different, there are a few common denominators of the Carrbridge population: they're naturally witty, they mostly have grey hair, and they're very serious about their porridge. "The joy of it was really getting to know a whole bunch of older people and developing a relationship with strangers over a certain age," Costi says. "There's a glint in their eye. They're all in on the joke." 'What would you do with your final years?' At the centre of this is Charlie Miller — porridge maker, spurtle carver, and longtime chieftain of the competition. As his health declines, Miller wrestles with who will take over his role. Costi thought this might become the emotional spine of the film. But before filming began, Miller casually revealed he'd already found a replacement. "It's just Alan down the road," he told Costi. The documentary follows Charlie Miller's last year as chieftain of the competition. Soon, it transforms into a meditation on ageing, legacy and purpose. Source: Supplied Instead, the film transforms into a meditation on ageing, legacy and purpose. "On the surface, it's light and it's comedic and bubbly and kind of joyful. But there is a more poignant undercurrent through the whole thing, particularly with Charlie, who's not in the best of health," Costi says. But even as he wrestles with hanging up his metaphorical apron, Miller still drops wisdom in every scene, with lines that feel like they were plucked straight from a Dylan Thomas poem. The film opens on a montage of Carrbridge landmarks: a rocky bridge, the railway station, the pub — and the cemetery. "Everyone ends up here," Miller says, as he looks over the tombstones. The Scottish Highlands are ageing faster than the rest of the country. But in Carrbridge, that's not positioned as a problem — it's part of the charm. You notice it in the rhythm of the town, the cheeky banter of the committee, and in the slow beauty of the film itself. There's something particularly comforting about a place where older people aren't just visible, but central — running competitions, carving spurtles, washing dishes, stirring oats. As the proportion of people aged 60 years and older increases worldwide, the United Nations is promoting the need for "age-friendly communities" that optimise opportunities for health, participation and security, to enhance people's quality of life as they get older. In Carrbridge, the porridge competition may be playing a crucial role in building this sense of community. And while Miller is stepping down, the committee asks him to stay on as honorary chieftain — complete with a new hat and all. There is a deeply human story underneath all of this that we all have to face at one point, which is — what do I do with my final years? Constantine Costi, director of The Golden Spurtle "Is something as absurd as a porridge-making competition a worthy thing to do? I would say it absolutely is," Costi says. Wilson agrees — though he says he's probably done competing. "I think making it an annual tradition — at what point does that get a bit weird? It's like, how much do you want to win this porridge award, dude?" he says. Still, he got a glimpse of what those later years might look like. "I'm a keen, but terrible amateur golfer and Scotland's the home of golf. "So for a few days [while making the film], I would just make porridge and play golf. "It felt like a little sneak peek of my later years — cooking porridge and playing golf in a seaside village in Scotland." The Golden Spurtle is being shown as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, which is running until 24 August. The film is also slated for a general Australian release later this year.
Times
03-08-2025
- General
- Times
Call for barbecue ban in tinderbox conditions
Disposable barbecues must be banned throughout Scotland during a record year for wildfires linked to a lengthy dry spell, conservationists have said. The country has endured more than 170 wildfires this year, the most in six years, with the majority occurring between March and May. Of these, the most devastating — in Carrbridge and Dava on Highland moors — scorched nearly 30,000 acres, an area 30 times larger than Strathclyde Park. These wildfires, classified by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) as large, uncontrolled outdoor fires exceeding 1,000 square metres, are often started by human activity. Causes include campfires and glass bottles magnifying sunlight as well as the use of disposable barbecues, which conservationists argue are a 'no-brainer' to ban. Paul White, 40, a climate scientist who has been campaigning on wildfire awareness in the Cairngorms for two years, said the surge in fires was no surprise. 'There is a lot of frustration here,' he told Scotland on Sunday. 'There have been 14 major wildfires this year alone, which is a record. Everyone saw the writing on the wall because this issue has been building and building with climate change.' White highlighted a fire in Glen Finglas in the Trossachs in which a disposable barbecue was identified as the cause. The blaze, which covered two hectares — the size of two rugby pitches —resulted in the death of nesting birds and other wildlife, according to the Woodland Trust Scotland. A charred burger was found on a disposable grill at the scene after the fire was extinguished. White, who lives in Aviemore, warned that the danger from disposable barbecues persists even after they are removed from a site. 'When you put it on heather or peaty soil, it can burn underground,' he explained. 'Someone could walk away and take the disposable barbecue with them, and then a fire ignites an hour or two after they have left.' He also pointed to the risk of burns from discarded barbecues. 'If you put the disposable barbecue on a beach, then the sand will capture that heat and stay hot for five or six hours after. So there have been numerous occasions where small kids or dogs have walked on that and been burned.' White, who called disposable barbecues 'nightmares across the board', has submitted a petition to the Scottish parliament calling for a nationwide ban on their sale. It has already garnered the support of about 2,000 people. • How to remake our houses and cities for hotter weather In response to the growing threat, the SFRS has invested £1.6 million in a three-year wildfire strategy, which includes the acquisition of all-terrain vehicles, specialist equipment and the hiring of 14 wildfire tactical advisers. Area commander Michael Humphreys, the service's wildfire lead, said: 'We know that most wildfires in Scotland are started by people and often by accident. 'That's why we always urge caution when outdoors, especially during dry spells when the risk of wildfire is highest. That includes never using naked flames or disposable barbecues in the countryside during these conditions.' The Scottish government confirmed it was aware of White's petition and said it would be discussed by MSPs after the summer recess. Siobhian Brown, the community safety minister, praised firefighters for their efforts and highlighted the government's continued support. She said the service's budget had been increased to £412.2 million this year, a rise of £18.8 million.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Probe into Highland and Moray wildfires that burned for days
A joint police and fire service investigation has been launched into the causes of large wildfires that burned over four days in the north of fires on moors and woodland were first reported to Police Scotland at about 16:05 on of firefighters tackled the blazes, supported by volunteers and waterbombing by a helicopter. Police Scotland said incidents near Carrbridge, Grantown-on-Spey and Dava in the Highlands, and Upper Knockando were being investigated. Ch Insp Mike MacKenzie said: "Fortunately no-one has been injured but a large swathe of the countryside has been badly affected."I would like to thank all the emergency services and the public involved."Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and this includes the area around Lochindorb between Carrbridge and Dava and the area around Loch Allan near Dava."He added: "We are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious or has any information that could assist with the investigation to get in touch." One witness, who tried to put a fire out near Grantown-on-Spey in the Cairngorms National Park on Saturday, told BBC Scotland News it started south-east of Loch said the seat of the wildfire was a ring of stones where a camp fire had been lit and camping chairs had been Cairngorms National Park Authority has urged people not to light campfires and executive Grant Moir said: "The effects of these fires on our wildlife and land is devastating, and we will be working with partners and landowners to assess the damage and see how we can help the recovery." On Tuesday the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said that there was a "significant deployment of resources" to the affected from Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands were local roads were closed as a living in Carrbridge, Grantown-on-Spey and Aviemore were advised to keep the windows of homes and businesses closed due to living 170 miles (273km) miles away in Orkney reported smelling smoke from the wildfires.
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Scottish firefighters tackle wildfires for third day as risk to life grows
Firefighters battled wildfires in the Scottish Highlands for a third day on Monday in a situation the first minister has called 'extremely serious'. The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), which has helped tackle the blazes, warned the fires are 'becoming a danger to human life' that are leaving 'stretched' firefighters unable to attend other incidents. On Saturday morning, the Scottish fire and rescue service was alerted to a fire near the Highland village of Carrbridge. By Monday evening, the fire service said it was still tackling several wildfire incidents in the area. At 8.40pm on Monday, the fire service urged residents in the vicinity of the fire to 'ensure their windows and doors are closed to prevent smoke from entering'. It said: 'Our firefighters continue to work tirelessly to tackle several wildfire incidents from Carrbridge in Highland to Dallas, outside Forres in Moray. 'A significant number of resources and special resources have been mobilised throughout the area.' A flood alert was issued for some of the affected areas by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which said: 'Minor flooding impacts and disruption to travel is possible if the heaviest rain falls in vulnerable areas.' The SGA said that a 'round-the-clock effort' from gamekeepers and land managers, working with the fire service, helped prevent two fires from merging into one larger blaze – a move that would have been a 'nightmare scenario'. Scottish first minister John Swinney said on X: 'The wildfires that are taking place are extremely serious. Please follow all of the advice available. Grateful to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and local people for their efforts to get the fires under control. Fergus Ewing, the MSP for Inverness and Nairn constituency, said the wildfires 'raging' across the area were 'said by many locals to be the worst in our history'. He added that he had already urged the Scottish government to convene its emergency response committee – the Scottish government resilience room, known as SGORR. The SGA called on the Scottish government's nature advisers at NatureScot to visit the sites of these blazes to see first-hand their impact and the efforts required to tackle them. Speaking about the blazes, an SGA spokesperson said: 'This is becoming a danger to human life because firefighters are becoming so stretched dealing with wildfires that they don't have the resources to attend other fires.' They insisted: 'We need to have the Scottish government and their advisers out now to see what is happening, while these fires are ongoing.' One witness, who tried to put the initial fire out, told BBC Scotland News that the seat of the wildfire was a ring of stones where a camp fire had been lit and camping chairs had been abandoned. Dræyk van der Hørn, a Scottish Greens councillor for Moray, photographed the wildfires from a summit in the Cairngorms earlier on Monday. He said: 'Wildfires in Scotland were once a rarity. Not any more. 'Hotter, drier springs and summers – driven by the accelerating climate crisis – are turning our landscapes into tinderboxes. 'Fires are now more frequent, more intense and more destructive. This is not a distant warning. 'Climate change is here, and Moray, and Scotland are on the frontline.'
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Scottish firefighters tackle wildfires for third day as risk to life grows
Firefighters battled wildfires in the Scottish Highlands for a third day on Monday in a situation the first minister has called 'extremely serious'. The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), which has helped tackle the blazes, warned the fires are 'becoming a danger to human life' that are leaving 'stretched' firefighters unable to attend other incidents. On Saturday morning, the Scottish fire and rescue service was alerted to a fire near the Highland village of Carrbridge. By Monday evening, the fire service said it was still tackling several wildfire incidents in the area. At 8.40pm on Monday, the fire service urged residents in the vicinity of the fire to 'ensure their windows and doors are closed to prevent smoke from entering'. It said: 'Our firefighters continue to work tirelessly to tackle several wildfire incidents from Carrbridge in Highland to Dallas, outside Forres in Moray. 'A significant number of resources and special resources have been mobilised throughout the area.' A flood alert was issued for some of the affected areas by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, which said: 'Minor flooding impacts and disruption to travel is possible if the heaviest rain falls in vulnerable areas.' The SGA said that a 'round-the-clock effort' from gamekeepers and land managers, working with the fire service, helped prevent two fires from merging into one larger blaze – a move that would have been a 'nightmare scenario'. Scottish first minister John Swinney said on X: 'The wildfires that are taking place are extremely serious. Please follow all of the advice available. Grateful to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and local people for their efforts to get the fires under control. Fergus Ewing, the MSP for Inverness and Nairn constituency, said the wildfires 'raging' across the area were 'said by many locals to be the worst in our history'. He added that he had already urged the Scottish government to convene its emergency response committee – the Scottish government resilience room, known as SGORR. The SGA called on the Scottish government's nature advisers at NatureScot to visit the sites of these blazes to see first-hand their impact and the efforts required to tackle them. Speaking about the blazes, an SGA spokesperson said: 'This is becoming a danger to human life because firefighters are becoming so stretched dealing with wildfires that they don't have the resources to attend other fires.' They insisted: 'We need to have the Scottish government and their advisers out now to see what is happening, while these fires are ongoing.' One witness, who tried to put the initial fire out, told BBC Scotland News that the seat of the wildfire was a ring of stones where a camp fire had been lit and camping chairs had been abandoned. Dræyk van der Hørn, a Scottish Greens councillor for Moray, photographed the wildfires from a summit in the Cairngorms earlier on Monday. He said: 'Wildfires in Scotland were once a rarity. Not any more. 'Hotter, drier springs and summers – driven by the accelerating climate crisis – are turning our landscapes into tinderboxes. 'Fires are now more frequent, more intense and more destructive. This is not a distant warning. 'Climate change is here, and Moray, and Scotland are on the frontline.'
