Oats, water, salt the winning ingredients for porridge-making champ

Australia's top porridge maker has officially been crowned at a competition at Pearl Beach, on the NSW Central Coast.The inaugural Pearly Spurtle saw 18 competitors battle it out for the title of porridge champion through three heats and a final.Contestants had 30 minutes to serve up a bowl of traditional porridge — using only oats, water and salt — as well as a creative porridge dish and the only limit was imagination.Pearly Spurtle winner Robert Reid will be coached by food stylist Caroline Velik ahead of the global competition in Carbridge in October. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)Former Sydney cafe owner Robert Reid was crowned the winner, after using Celtic salt he had shipped in especially for the competition."I used a mix of Celtic salt and regular sea salt, which I think was the difference maker," Mr Reid said.He admits he hasn't always been a porridge enthusiast, but started practising after learning about the competition.'"I've been eating porridge every morning for the last few weeks and I've converted, I've been enjoying it," he said."I'll definitely be eating it for the next two months."Pearly Spurtle winner Robert Reid said his experience in a cafe kitchen helped him stay calm under pressure. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)Winner to represent AustraliaThe Pearly Spurtle has been recognised as Australia's official porridge-making contest by the committee behind the international event, Scotland's Golden Spurtle.Mr Reid's win means he has qualified to represent Australia on the world stage in Carbridge in October."We were meant to do a road trip up the East Coast of Australia, but hey, we'll got to Scotland instead," he said.Pearly Spurtle winner Robert Reid used oats to make "porridge cannoli" in the event's creative category. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)The "porridge cannoli" end result. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)He will be coached for the event by Melbourne food stylist Caroline Velik, who won the creative category at the Golden Spurtle last year with a porridge jaffle.Ms Velik said competition at the Australian event was at a high level."We had amazing porridge today," she said."For the competitors who didn't make the final, sometimes they just needed a bit more salt. There was not much in it."Serious porridge cooks came with their own spurtles. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)Mr Reid said he will need to change the way he cooks, to help prepare for the international competition."I've got to get some induction cookers for home because I don't cook well on induction and the Golden Spurtle is all induction."Contestants pushed the limits with their use of oats. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)A pina colada-inspired dish made the porridge-making final. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)Community event makes it bigUsually a quiet beachside village, Pearl Beach came to life with the festival.Tickets to the event sold out in advance and instead of turning away would-be porridge watchers, organisers set up an overflow area, where the competition was live-streamed on a TV screen.Traditional porridge being made with oats, water and salt. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)Pearly Spurtle founder Karina Stafford said what she thought would be a "silly" little community event took on a life of its own."We really were not expecting anywhere near this response," she said."Everyone's bought into the ridiculousness of the whole thing."Plans are already being made for the second annual event."We're already thinking bigger and better," she said."Next year we're thinking [about holding the festival in] July and we'll do it over two days."The Pearly Spurtle is Australia's first national porridge-making competition. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)