Dutch entrant Gina Saarberg wins World Porridge Making Championship at record-size event
The World Porridge Championships in Carrbridge, Scotland, drew a record field of 30 competitors from 14 countries. Gina Saarberg of the Netherlands won the Golden Spurtle, and Australia's Rob Reid took the speciality title.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2The World Porridge Making Championship took place in Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday 3 October 2026, with 30 competitors representing 14 countries. Evening StandardN “This year, 30 competitors representing 14 countries took part in the competition” Read at Evening Standard ↗ BBC NewsN “Thirty competitors representing 14 countries will take part” Read at BBC News ↗ Centre · 1Before the event, the BBC reported that the field was the biggest yet, with double the number of entrants of the previous highest turnout. BBC NewsN “The annual oat-off has never been more popular, with double the number of entrants than the previous highest turnout.” Read at BBC News ↗ Centre · 1The BBC suggested the surge could be fuelled by the documentary film The Golden Spurtle, which followed competitors at the 2023 championships. BBC NewsN “The surge in porridge popularity could be fuelled by the success of the highly acclaimed documentary film The Golden Spurtle, which followed competitors at the 2023 championships.” Read at BBC News ↗
Centre · 2Gina Saarberg, 28, from the Netherlands, won the main title and the Golden Spurtle, the trophy for porridge making's top award, which is a giant version of the traditional wooden stirring tool. Evening StandardN “Gina Saarberg, 28, was named champion and won the Golden Spurtle at the World Porridge Making Championship” Read at Evening Standard ↗ BBC NewsN “The trophy is a giant version of the traditional wooden tool used for stirring porridge, thick soups, and stew.” Read at BBC News ↗ Centre · 1She used the recipe that won her the Netherlands championships in July: organic pinhead oats from the Dutch company De Halm, salt, and water she brought from the Netherlands. Evening StandardN “organic pinhead oats from Dutch company De Halm, water that she had brought from the Netherlands, and salt” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 2The main competition requires traditional porridge made from only oatmeal, water and salt. Saarberg said porridge is not widely eaten in the Netherlands, that switching from rolled oats to oatmeal gave a creamier result, and that adding salt brought out the porridge's nuances and aromas. BBC NewsN “competitors must prepare traditional porridge using only three ingredients - oatmeal, water and salt.” Read at BBC News ↗ Evening StandardN “Porridge isn’t something that is widely eaten in the Netherlands.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Centre · 1Defending champion Sven Seljom of Norway was among the entrants; he had called winning the title the previous year "the greatest experience of my life". BBC NewsN “it was the greatest experience of my life winning the title last year” Read at BBC News ↗ Centre · 1In the speciality competition, where oatmeal can be combined with any ingredients, Rob Reid, 36, from Sydney won with a porridge cannoli drawing on his Scottish and Sicilian heritage. Evening StandardN “Rob Reid, 36, from Sydney, Australia, won the speciality title with his porridge cannoli which draws on his Scottish and Sicilian heritage.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 2Reid, who became Australia's porridge champion in August by winning the Pearly Spurtle, said the shells were made with Marsala and the filling combined ricotta, mascarpone, icing sugar and sieved porridge. The BBC had earlier reported his journey, which began when his wife submitted his application. Evening StandardN “The shells are like a brandy snap but with Marsala, which is a Sicilian wine.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ BBC NewsN “To go from my wife telling me she submitted my application to actually winning the Pearly Spurtle four weeks later has been pretty surreal.” Read at BBC News ↗
Centre · 1The judging panel included Neil Mugg, formerly of Gleneagles, KJ Gilmour of KJ's Bothy Bakery in Grantown-on-Spey, and Clare Coghill of Cafe Cuil on the Isle of Skye. Evening StandardN “The judging panel this year included Neil Mugg, former chef at Gleneagles who now teaches hospitality at UHI Perth” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Centre · 1Porridge Chieftain Alan Rankin called Saarberg a "truly worthy champion" and described the event as a "wonderfully quirky tradition". The championship is run by Carrbridge volunteers and sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland. Evening StandardN “in Gina, we have a truly worthy champion.”“is organised by a team of volunteers from Carrbridge, and is sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat it as a light human-interest story: the BBC previews the field and the Golden Spurtle's appeal, while the Evening Standard reports the winners and their recipes.
- Emphasis
- Record entry, the documentary's influence, competitors' personal stories, recipes and organisers' quotes.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The BBC preview predates the result. Neither outlet gives scores or the other finalists.
- Charged language
- “oat-off”“queen of porridge”“wonderfully quirky tradition”
- For example
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“The annual oat-off has never been more popular” — BBC News
“a wonderfully quirky tradition that thrives on good humour and friendly competition” — Evening Standard
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The championship was held in Carrbridge in the Highlands.
- 30 competitors from 14 countries took part.
- The main competition uses only oatmeal, water and salt; the speciality competition allows any ingredients.
- Alan Rankin is the Porridge Chieftain.
- Rob Reid of Australia is Australia's national champion.
World Porridge Championships event
Organisers present the event as a community-run, good-humoured tradition that has drawn unprecedented interest, helped by the documentary.
“The documentary has introduced the competition, Carrbridge, and the wonderful world of porridge to a whole new audience” — BBC News
“offering a wonderful escape from the daily grind” — Evening Standard
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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What's a golden spurtle and why do so many people want one?
Celebratory Preview explaining the Golden Spurtle and the record entry, with a focus on the competitors' varied backgrounds and the documentary's effect.
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Dutch woman crowned World Porridge Making Champion
Celebratory Results report on the Dutch winner and Australian speciality winner, built around their quotes and recipes and the organisers' praise.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 2 Oct 23:01 First BBC NewsN What's a golden spurtle and why do so many people want one?
- 3 Oct 19:41 +20h 41m Evening StandardN Dutch woman crowned World Porridge Making Champion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.