Latest news with #GoldenSpurtle
Edinburgh Reporter
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
EIFF – The Golden Spurtle – documentary to be released in September
One of the films in this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival – The Golden Spurtle – will be released on 12 September 2025. The documentary by Constantine Costi is 'witty and beautifully shot' and tells the story of the competition fought in Cartridge to compete for the title of World Porridge Champion. Amid the steaming bowls of porridge there is a story to be told. Leading the way is self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle Charlie Miller, an acerbic wit, charisma and no-nonsense approach to all things porridge. A maker of spurtles – which are used to stir the porridge – Charlie is an artist at heart. Since taking ill he is looking for a successor to take over as Chieftain. But with no-one in sight, Charlie is left to shoulder the burden of the championship's uncertain future. With striking cinematography illuminating both the film's memorable characters and the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands, inspired by the work of photographers such as August Sander and Martin Parr, this is a visually ambitious delight for film and food fans alike. The film is directed by Constantine Cosi (A Delicate Fire) with cinematography by Dimitri Zaunders. The film is produced by Rebecca Lamond (Friends and Strangers) and co-produced by John Archer (My Old School, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock). The film will have its UK premiere at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival on 17 August. The Golden Spurtle is released in UK cinemas on 12 September 2025. Pictured: Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle Charlie Miller in his Spurtle-making workshop Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
‘Feel good' documentary on Scottish Highlands porridge competition gets Edinburgh Film Festival premiere
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A documentary on the World Porridge Making Championships in Carrbridge is set to be released during the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). UK film distributor Dogwoof announced the UK release date for filmmaker Constantine Costi's new documentary The Golden Spurtle as September 12, after its premiere at the EIFF on August 17. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The annual competition has been taking place in the village of Carrbridge for 30 years. Contenders from around the globe descend to compete for the coveted title of world porridge champion. In the documentary, viewers will witness intense rivalries, steaming bowls of porridge, and the lives of charmingly eccentric locals, alongside a living legacy and the search for succession of the 'chieftain of the Golden Spurtle'. The Golden Spurtle documentary will be released in UK cinemas in September. | contributed Charlie Miller, self-titled Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle, showcases an acerbic wit, charisma and no-nonsense approach to all things porridge . A maker of spurtles - traditional wooden porridge stirring utensils - Mr Miller is described as an artist at heart. Since taking ill, he is looking for a successor to take over as chieftain. But with no one in sight, Mr Miller is left to shoulder the burden of the championship's uncertain future. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The documentary is said to boast striking cinematography illuminating both the film's memorable characters and the beautiful scenery of the Highlands , inspired by the work of photographers such as August Sander and Martin Parr. The film introduces viewers to an array of competitors from around the world - from Suffolk-based Queen of Porridge Lisa to seven-time finalist and London-based health food chief executive Nick, as well as young Australian chef Toby. The Golden Spurtle is billed as a celebration of community and the future of vibrant, close-knit societies. The film is directed by Constantine Cosi (A Delicate Fire) with cinematography by Dimitri Zaunders. The film is produced by Rebecca Lamond (Friends and Strangers) and co-produced by John Archer (My Old School, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock).
The Age
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Risking Scotland's wrath, an Aussie competitive porridge-maker shares his secrets
In 1994, Roger Reed of the Carrbridge Community Council was looking for a way to attract visitors to his small village in the Scottish Highlands. Other British towns had already snapped up the world championships in conkers, tiddlywinks and marbles. But porridge – a local staple – was yet unclaimed. The result was the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, a charmingly offbeat event that has stirred up enough attention to put Carrbridge on the culinary map, while giving one of the world's humblest breakfast foods a moment in the spotlight. Three decades on, the competition continues to draw oat obsessives from around the globe, who compete in gruelling heats in pursuit of the perfect bowl of porridge. The winner takes home the Golden Spurtle, a trophy shaped like the traditional Scottish stirring stick used to smooth out lumps in oatmeal. Loading Among past contenders is Toby Wilson, executive chef at Sydney's Norfolk Hotel and founder of Ricos Tacos, a 2025 Good Food Guide Critic's Pick restaurant. Wilson has twice reached the finals, representing Australia in 2022 and 2023, and features in The Golden Spurtle, a documentary now screening in this year's Sydney Film Festival.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Risking Scotland's wrath, an Aussie competitive porridge-maker shares his secrets
In 1994, Roger Reed of the Carrbridge Community Council was looking for a way to attract visitors to his small village in the Scottish Highlands. Other British towns had already snapped up the world championships in conkers, tiddlywinks and marbles. But porridge – a local staple – was yet unclaimed. The result was the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, a charmingly offbeat event that has stirred up enough attention to put Carrbridge on the culinary map, while giving one of the world's humblest breakfast foods a moment in the spotlight. Three decades on, the competition continues to draw oat obsessives from around the globe, who compete in gruelling heats in pursuit of the perfect bowl of porridge. The winner takes home the Golden Spurtle, a trophy shaped like the traditional Scottish stirring stick used to smooth out lumps in oatmeal. Loading Among past contenders is Toby Wilson, executive chef at Sydney's Norfolk Hotel and founder of Ricos Tacos, a 2025 Good Food Guide Critic's Pick restaurant. Wilson has twice reached the finals, representing Australia in 2022 and 2023, and features in The Golden Spurtle, a documentary now screening in this year's Sydney Film Festival.
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Golden Spurtle review – a cosy celebration of porridge and its champions
The word 'porridge' to me evokes something modest and satisfying: mouthfuls of reliable pleasantness in a terribly volatile world. How lovely that The Golden Spurtle – Constantine Costi's charming documentary about the world's annual porridge-making championship in the Scottish village of Carrbridge – has assumed some of the qualities of the dish. It isn't flashy (and certainly doesn't scream 'must-watch') but, like a good ol' fashioned bowl of well-cooked oats, it's got it where it counts. This film is a pleasure to watch – with endearing salt-of-the-earth subjects, a lovely ebb and flow, and a tone that feels just right: neither overly serious nor tongue in cheek. Its appeal is not dissimilar to the Australian comedy series Rosehaven: sometimes it's just nice to escape into a fresh air-filled world with refreshingly low stakes. Even if the competitors, gawd luv 'em, treat the competition very seriously. The Golden Spurtle is also lovely to look at. It's displayed in a tucked-in 4:3 aspect ratio that has a slightly antiquated feel, which suits the material. The opening shot features a grassy field overlaid with text declaring that every year Carrbridge hosts the titular tournament, though the upcoming event is a little different: it's the last to be led by its head organiser, Charlie Miller, who is hanging up his stirring spoon after many years of service. This contextualises what comes next as an end-of-empire narrative, belonging to a pantheon of stories about dynasties that changed the course of history and rattled the tectonic, erm, oatmeal bowls of existence. Early moments introduce places in and around Carrbridge – including a pub and a cemetery – before we meet competitors and people of note in the world of rolled oats. They include the Australian taco chef Toby Wilson, who packs up a portable kitchen and flies with it across the world, and is competing against the likes of Nick Barnard, the co-founder of a wholesome food company who is 'burning with desire' to triumph after having made the finals several times. I wondered whether we'd meet the equivalent of a moustache-twirling villain: someone comparable perhaps to the cocksure Billy Mitchell from the video game documentary King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters – the reigning Donkey Kong champion who stopped at nothing to protect his throne. I initially thought we might have found one in Ian Bishop, a former world champion and porridge-making legend who returns for another crack and is confident he'll win. But this 'man of mystery' turns out to be pretty likable too. I also wondered whether there'd be any wild, revolutionary figures that upended tradition and blazed a mushy new path forward – the Jimi Hendrix of porridge cooking. Sadly not, though we do learn of a competitor who one year brought with him a deep fryer, which was considered 'dangerous' and 'crazy'. Momentum builds in the lead-up to the big day, when crowds pack into Carrbridge's modest community hall, where, for some reason, a whisky-tasting event is also taking place. People involved in The Golden Spurtle tend to, quite adorably, emphasise their own importance: one of the kitchen crew assures us, with a cheeky wee gleam in her eyes, that this is 'the boiler house of the world porridge championships', where all the important action takes place. It's all very sweet and agreeable: a palate-pleasing celebration of the noble oat. The Golden Spurtle is showing at Sydney film festival on 7, 14 and 15 June and will get a general Australian release later this year. A UK release has yet to be announced.
