A 28-year-old from the Netherlands has won the World Porridge Making Championship in the Highlands, taking home the Golden Spurtle with a recipe made using water she carried from home.
Gina Saarberg was crowned champion at the event in Carrbridge on Saturday.
Her winning combination followed the same recipe that had already made her the Netherlands champion in July: organic pinhead oats from the Dutch company De Halm, salt, and water brought from the Netherlands.
Ms Saarberg said: “Porridge isn’t something that is widely eaten in the Netherlands.
“I started eating porridge in my student days, but I used rolled oats.
“When I switched to oatmeal I found that it made a much creamier porridge – it reminded me of rice pudding.
“I only started adding salt to my porridge for the competition and quickly realised that it really brings out the nuances and different aromas, and makes it taste much better.”
The competition drew 30 competitors from 14 countries this year.
Entrants travelled from as far afield as Australia, South Africa and the US, as well as the Czech Republic, Norway, France, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland.
Porridge chieftain Alan Rankin said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome 30 exceptional competitors from all corners of the globe to Carrbridge, and in Gina, we have a truly worthy champion.
“The World Porridge Making Championship is a wonderfully quirky tradition that thrives on good humour and friendly competition, offering a wonderful escape from the daily grind.
“Each year, our local community opens its doors and we hope everyone who joined us leaves with fond memories of their visit.”
Alongside the main contest, the event runs a speciality porridge competition in which entrants may pair oatmeal with any ingredients they choose to create imaginative dishes.
That title went to Rob Reid, 36, from Sydney, Australia, whose porridge cannoli draws on his Scottish and Sicilian heritage.
Mr Reid, who became Australia’s porridge champion in August, said: “My dad’s Scottish and my mum’s Sicilian, so when I was thinking about what I could do, the idea came to me. Then I had to work out how I could possibly make it in 30 minutes.
“The shells are like a brandy snap but with Marsala, which is a Sicilian wine. The cream has a mix of ricotta, mascarpone, icing sugar and the traditional porridge that I made, which I put through a sieve so you get all the creamy goodness.
“I also added toasted oats which I ground with a mortar and pestle, which bring it together and make sure it’s thick enough to stay in the shell.”
This year’s judging panel consisted of Neil Mugg, former chef at Gleneagles who now teaches hospitality at UHI Perth; KJ Gilmour from New Zealand, head chef and owner of KJ’s Bothy Bakery in Grantown-on-Spey; and Clare Coghill, owner of Cafe Cuil on the Isle of Skye.
The championship is organised by a team of volunteers from Carrbridge and is sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland.
Alan Meikle, managing director of Hamlyns, said: “The Golden Spurtle is such a unique and special event, which we are proud to sponsor.
“It’s fantastic to see porridge lovers from across the world getting together, united in a love of porridge. Congratulations to Gina and Rob on their well-deserved wins.”
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