What's a golden spurtle and why do so many people want one?

What does a bakery owner from San Francisco have in common with a retired British Army officer, a newly-qualified Scottish lawyer, a US Marine veteran, an Edinburgh artist and a teacher from Fife?

All of them - plus a 2026 MasterChef UK finalist - are preparing to fight for the title of World Porridge Making Champion.

The annual oat-off has never been more popular, with double the number of entrants than the previous highest turnout.

The hopefuls all want to leave the Highland village of Carrbridge carrying the Golden Spurtle, porridge making's most coveted award.

The trophy is a giant version of the traditional wooden tool used for stirring porridge, thick soups, and stew.

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.

Its focus on the competition's eccentric characters, intense porridge-making rivalries, and porridge world legends like Carrbridge local Ian Bishop and the "queen of porridge" Lisa Williams, has inspired record numbers to try their hand at competitive breakfast-making.

Thirty competitors representing 14 countries will take part - from Australia, the Czech Republic, South Africa, the USA, Norway, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, as well as from across the UK and Ireland.

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