Ellinor Persson came out on top to take the coveted trophy beating competitors from the USA, Russia, Switzerland, Holland, Iceland, Sweden and across the UK and Ireland.
Compatriot Per Carlsson will also be taking the Speciality title back to Sweden making it a clean sweep for the Scandinavian country.
The winners with their trophies. Picture: Golden Spurtle
The title of World Porridge Making Champion is awarded to the competitor who makes the best traditional porridge using only three ingredients – oatmeal, salt and water. The porridges are judged on three factors - consistency, taste and colour.
Ellinor, who works in sales in the the steel industry, adds the World Porridge Making Champion title to the Swedish Traditional Porridge Making Champion title, which she has won for the last two years in a row.
She said: “The World Porridge Making Championships is such a great event. It’s a real honour just to compete in the competition, never mind to win. I can’t really put how I’m feeling into words, it’s just a fantastic feeling. I was very excited when Per won the Speciality title and when the judges called out my name as World Champion I couldn’t believe it - I was jumping up and down, it was very exciting.”
Great to see Swedish competitor Per Carlsson using #Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal @golden_spurtle #GoldenSpurtle17 pic.twitter.com/Y86VdEiRg6
— Hamlyns of Scotland (@hamlynsoats) October 7, 2017
Ellinor believes that it’s very important for people to think about what they are eating. In her spare time she runs foodie tours in Sweden, both in the woods and fields around her local town of Halmstaad in South West Sweden, and in some of the speciality restaurants in the town.
In the ‘Speciality’ competition, oatmeal must be the main ingredient in any sweet or savoury porridge-based dish.
This year’s speciality winner Per Carlsson impressed judges with his dish Nordic Porridge – Caramel Sweet and Sour, a porridge made with oatmeal, cloudberry liqueur, orange peel and whipped cream, topped with flambéed cloudberries and whipped cream.
It was third time lucky at the competition for Per, who describes himself as “an extremely devoted porridge maker who practices making porridge practically every morning making guests at the Steninge hostel enjoy happiness through porridge made with perfection and love.”
The event is organised by Carrbridge Community Council and sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland.
Organiser Michelle Green said: “It’s been a fantastic day for the competitors, judges, visitors and villagers alike, and we’re already looking forward to the 2018 competition, when the Golden Spurtle will be celebrating twenty five years as one of Scotland’s favourite culinary events.”
Alan Meikle, Managing Director of Hamlyns of Scotland said: “The World Porridge Making Championships is closely followed by porridge lovers from all over the world. It’s been a very closely fought competition with a real international flavour, and we’d like to congratulate Ellinor and Per on their wins.”
