Englishman causes stir at porridge competition

Published on 07/10/2012 00:00

IT COULD put a dent in national pride, but for the first time yesterday an Englishman was crowned World Porridge Making Champion.

Ben Horsburgh, who was born in London but lives in Germany, took the title and the prestigious Golden Spurtle at the 190th event held in Carrbridge ­yesterday.

In a bid to soften the blow to Scots, Horsburgh, 45, said: “I’m from Scottish roots. I can trace my family back to the 1390s to the Peebles area. So I suppose today I was flying the flag for the old country.”

He went on to explain how he makes award-winning porridge in four easy stages.

“First of all you must have a good pot. It is vitally important,” he said.

“Next choose the oats that you like. Then keep stirring and add salt as you go along. Finally keep tasting and when you like it, stop.

“It is also important to be relaxed and tranquil when you are making it”.

Horsburgh’s win is only the second time the Golden Spurtle has gone to someone outside Scotland. In 2009, an American porridge maker made history when he took it across the Atlantic.

Yesterday, Horsburgh beat rivals from Denmark, Sweden, the US, Scotland and England.

They included an astrophysics student from Manchester, a goldsmith, from Hertfordshire, a “porridge lady” from Reading, a lecturer from Seattle and ski-instructor and former Golden Spurtle winner Ian Bishop from Carrbridge.

The competition attracted hundreds of spectators and porridge fans. Carrbridge residents also laid on a farmers’ market, arts and crafts stall, food outlets, pipes and drums and a display of strength from one of the judges, Bronwyn Taylor, 16, Scotland’s strongest teenager from Inverness who starts every day with porridge.

The furthest travelled competitor was Laurie ­Figone from California.