Gaelic Singer John Boa Wins Golden Spurtle

A Gaelic singer from Strathglass has won the highly-coveted Golden Spurtle, the prize for winning the World Porridge Championship 2011.

The first-time entrant but lifelong porridge maker was commended yesterday in Carrbridge, where the event is held, for his outstanding porridge by the judges in the cook-off.

Competitors’ porridge was judged on consistency, taste and colour and John used medium oatmeal from Hamlyns of Scotland, a local oat mill, tap water from Carrbridge and salt.

"There is no secret to my success, it is just knowing what good porridge looks like and stirring constantly until it is properly thick, when I then add the correct amount of salt," he explained.

An accomplished gaelic singer and gold medal finalist at the National Mod, John sings with Lothian Gaelic Choir. He enjoys cycle touring and has twice cycled between Land’s End and John o’ Groats, once in each direction.

On each trip he carried oatmeal, salt and a spurtle to make a sustaining breakfast every day, saying: "I was undoubtedly helped along the way by a morning intake of porridge.

"The simplicity of using just one main ingredient makes it the only choice for cycle touring – it’s easy to carry enough to do breakfast for the whole week."

Winner of the Speciality competition – where contestants are free to add other ingredients to porridge – was 2010 Golden Spurtle winner Neal Robertson, owner and chef of Tannochbrae Tearoom in Auchtermuchty, Fife who produced a Winter Spiced Porridge with blueberries, sugar and heather honey.

Neal said: "I am absolutely delighted to win the Speciality porridge making competition and can’t believe I have now won both competitions in back-to-back years.

"Having won the Golden Spurtle Trophy in 2010 my aim this year was to win the Speciality competition so I am over the moon to have carried off the title and reach the final for the main competition once again.

"To celebrate my win I will be having another tatoo done to match my 2010 tattoo, much to my wife, Jane’s disapproval."

The event attracted porridge makers from around the globe with competitors from Sweden, Ireland, America and the UK, and from all walks of life, including an astrophysics student; a high-flying managing director; a mill owner; a mother of four; professional chefs: and B&B proprietors.

Judging was carried out by two professional Masterchefs of Great Britain, George McIvor and Colin Bussey, along with celebrity judge Karen Mackenzie, producer and co-host of the Fred MacAulay Show on BBC Radio Scotland.

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