Hunt starts for champion porridge maker
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TOP porridge makers are being invited to have their spurtles at the ready as entries opened today for the annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Carrbridge.
The countdown is under way to find the next person to be awarded the world’s best porridge maker title and prestigious Golden Spurtle trophy.
The high profile competition takes place on Sunday October 9, this year, and is expected to create a worldwide stir from contenders wishing to battle it out for the title.
In addition to the Golden Spurtle competition, and to encourage more people to be positively involved, World Porridge Day (WPD) will also be held to raise awareness of the Scottish-based charity Mary’s Meals.
WPD, held the day after the Championships, was established as a celebration of a traditional dish, and as a chance to draw attention to the role that porridge plays at Mary’s Meals projects in Malwai, where a daily mug of maize-based ‘likuni phala’ is an incentive for children to go school and learn.
Mary’s Meals is a simple idea – by providing a daily meal in a place of education, chronically hungry children are attracted to the classroom to gain an education which can provide an escape route out of poverty.
It is currently feeding over 500,000 children in 16 countries across the world, including Malawi, Haiti and Liberia.
Shona Rankin, event co-ordinator for the Golden Spurtle competition, said: “We are looking forward to another successful event promoting porridge as a healthy and tasty meal, and of course to welcome competitors and visitors to our vibrant Highland village.
“We are also delighted to offer our support to World Porridge Day which, now in its third year, has grown and captured the imagination of many groups and individuals around the world, who have had fun organising their own events and spreading the word about Mary’s Meals.”
If your porridge is of world beating quality and you've got what it takes to compete against an international line up of porridge makers, then you can apply by filling in the 2011 Application Form.
Latest information about the world porridge making championship is available on the Golden Spurtle website and Golden Spurtle Facebook page.
You can also find out how to get involved in World Porridge Day by visiting World Porridge Day and World Porridge Day Facebook. You can follow WPD on Twitter.
The 18th annual Golden Spurtle competition started with the aim of boosting tourism in the village, because many visitors associate porridge with Scotland.
Last year, the winner of the Golden Spurtle competition was Neal Robertson of the Tannochbrae Tearoom, Auchtermuchty.
The world title is awarded to the porridge maker deemed to have made the best traditional porridge using oatmeal, salt and water. There is a speciality section for porridge to which other ingredients can be added.
