In a remarkable display of culinary innovation, Sven Seljom from Norway has emerged victorious at the prestigious World Porridge Making Championship, held annually in Carrbridge, Scotland. Seljom, a first-time competitor, clinched the coveted Golden Spurtle trophy by infusing his own unique twist into the traditional Scottish dish. His winning creation featured Norwegian Black Oats, sea salt, and water, ingredients he brought from his homeland. This year’s competition saw 30 participants from 14 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Finland, showcasing their porridge-making prowess. Seljom, upon being crowned champion, expressed his pride, stating, ‘This is a great honour.’ He revealed that his inspiration to compete stemmed from hearing about the event on Norwegian radio years ago, which piqued his interest due to its distinctive nature. The black oats used in his dish are an ancient grain that was once widely cultivated across Europe but nearly vanished in the 1800s. Seljom shared his meticulous preparation process, explaining that he experimented with various steel-cut oats and sourced his ingredients from an organic farm, soaking them for 24 hours prior to the competition. Meanwhile, the award for the best specialty porridge went to Australian food stylist Caroline Velik, who impressed the judges with her porridge jaffles—a yoghurt flatbread filled with rum bananas, Bundaberg banana toffee rum liqueur, oatmeal, and waffle seeds, all coated in Davidson plum sugar. Porridge Chieftain Alan Rankin praised the high standard of this year’s entries, noting the event’s continued growth and success.