A young astrophysicist has been crowned the world’s best porridge maker.
Simon Rookyard won the coveted Golden Spurtle after a closely contested 22nd World Porridge Championships in Carrbridge.
The triumph in the Highland village of Carrbridge capped a successful few weeks for the 25-year-old scientist from Greater Manchester, who submitted his PhD thesis on pulsars.
And putting his porridge-making into practice proved enough to top a 20-strong international line-up of competitors.
His opponents included a Finnish biochemist, a Swedish doctor, a Norwegian museum manager, a Swedish youth hostel owner, a Swiss miller, a South African chef, an American personal assistant, and a Czech small business owner.
Also in the field were competitors from across the UK including a Gaelic singer, an NHS renal consultant, an offshore chef, an oatcake maker, an environmental scientist, and an artist.
The title of World Porridge Making Champion is awarded to the competitor who makes the best traditional porridge using only three ingredients – oatmeal, salt and water.
Their efforts were judged by Neil Mugg, head pastry chef at The Gleneagles Hotel, master chef Colin Bussey, restaurant critic Ron MacKenna and Jonathan Engels of award-winning Aviemore gin distillery Crossbill Gin.
The new Golden Spurtle winner described his effort as a “good day’s work”.
Contestants are also encouraged to enter the ‘speciality’ competition, where oatmeal must be the main ingredient in any sweet or savoury porridge-based dish.
This year’s competition was extremely hard fought and won by Norwegian Thorbjorn Kristensen, who impressed judges with his dish of porridge waffles in his first entry to the competition.
The event is organised by Carrbridge Community Council and sponsored by Hamlyns of Scotland.
Alan Meikle, managing director of Hamlyns, said: “Hamlyns are absolutely delighted to sponsor the World Porridge Making Championships again.
“It has been a fantastic day, and we’d like to congratulate the worthy winners and everyone else who took part, along with the judges and the event organisers.”