October 6th 2025.
Sven Seljom, a 57-year-old Norwegian, is now the reigning world porridge making champion of 2025. He earned this prestigious title at the annual competition in Carrbridge, Scotland, and proudly took home the Golden Spurtle trophy. This year's competition drew in talented contenders from 14 different countries, including places as far as Australia, Pakistan, and The Philippines. Sven wowed the judges with his unique twist on the classic dish, using an ancient grain called Norwegian black oats as his main ingredient. This type of oat was once commonly grown in Europe but disappeared in the 1800s. Sven also added a pinch of Norwegian sea salt and used water that he brought all the way from his hometown of Mandal.
When asked about his winning recipe, Sven credited his "secret" wooden slatted spoon as the key to his success. Unlike most contestants who use a traditional spurtle to stir their porridge, Sven opted for a special spoon that he believes gives his dish a special touch. He explained that he first heard about the World Porridge Making Championship on Norwegian radio many years ago and immediately became intrigued. As a care technology consultant, Sven doesn't have a culinary background, but he loves experimenting with different types of steel cut oats. For his competition entry, he soaked the organic oats for 24 hours to enhance their texture and flavor.
The main category of the competition requires contestants to make their porridge using only three ingredients: oatmeal, water, and salt. However, there is also a "Speciality Porridge" category that allows for more creativity with various ingredients. This year, that category was won by Caroline Velik, a food stylist from Australia. She also received the runner-up spot in the main category. Caroline's winning dish, called "Porridge Jaffles," featured a yogurt flatbread filled with her mother's recipe for rum bananas, Bundaberg banana toffee rum liqueur, oatmeal, and waffle seeds tossed in Davidson plum sugar.
Alan Rankin, the chieftain of the Golden Spurtle, expressed his excitement for this year's competition and welcomed porridge enthusiasts and visitors from around the world to their village. He noted that while the event has a quirky charm, the competitors' determination to win the Golden Spurtle trophy is fierce. The 2023 championships were even filmed for a documentary called "The Golden Spurtle," which premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival and featured clips from this year's contest.
While the exact origin of porridge is unknown, a recent study revealed that it has been eaten by people in the Outer Hebrides for over 5,500 years. Archaeologists found evidence of cereals being cooked in well-preserved pots dating back to 3600 BC. In modern times, oat porridge is the most popular type of porridge consumed by Brits, but ancient Scots are believed to have favored a wheat porridge. Share your thoughts on this year's World Porridge Making Championship in the comments below!
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