Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods Returns to Glory at 19th Annual World Porridge Making Championship

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, winner of the 2009 Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship and the title of World's Best Oatmeal™, has reclaimed the glory at the 2012 Golden Spurtle championships, scoring a stunning victory against an international field of competition. Californian Laurie Figone, winner of the Bob's Red Mill Spar for the Spurtle 2 oatmeal recipe contest, competed on behalf of the company with her own unique dish and won the Speciality Trophy.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121009/SF89657)

"Wow! I'm so thrilled to be bringing the Speciality Trophy to the United States," said Bob Moore, founder, president and CEO of employee-owned Bob's Red Mill. "The Scots know their oatmeal — or porridge, as they call it — and to have them say that Laurie's dish, made with Bob's Red Mill ® Steel Cut Oats, is the best speciality porridge in the world means we must be doing something right!"

The 19^th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship was held this past weekend in Carrbridge-Inverness Shire in Northern Scotland, and Figone competed with Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats in both of the competition's categories, Traditional and Speciality. The Traditional Section allows for the use of only oats, salt and water, while the Speciality Section is for porridge that includes any additional ingredients.

Figone, a life-long home cook, earned her trip to Scotland by winning the second annual Bob's Red Mill Spar for the Spurtle oatmeal recipe contest. She and two other finalists were chosen from nearly 100 video entries to compete in a live cook-off, and a panel of celebrity judges selected Figone's dish as the winner. While she has won other recipe contests in the past, she never dreamed that one day she would become a world champion.

"I was blown away to even have been selected to travel to Scotland to compete on behalf of Bob's Red Mill," said Figone. "So to actually win a trophy at the world championship is mind boggling. I love Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, and this victory is a real testament to just how versatile they are."

Figone's Italian Pinhead Torta (similar to a frittata) features Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats soaked and cooked in mushroom broth, eggs, oregano, Parmesan, shredded zucchini, portobello mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes — all cooked into a delicious torta on the stovetop.   

In winning the Speciality Category, Figone will take home a trophy and a commemorative Quaich, a special kind of shallow, two-handled drinking cup that dates back to the 17^th century and is traditionally used for drinking whisky or brandy.

Bob's Red Mill first competed in the World Porridge Making Championship in 2009, becoming the first American representatives to do so. That year, the company won in the Traditional Category and took home the coveted Golden Spurtle and the title of World's Best Oatmeal. (A spurtle is a Scottish kitchen tool dating back to the 15th century that is traditionally used to stir porridge and prevent it from becoming lumpy.)

After coming home empty-handed in 2010, the company turned to its fans for help in launching its own Spar for the Spurtle oatmeal recipe contest, and this year the second installment of that contest has produced a world champion. 

"This championship just shows how creative our fans can be in working with our products," said Matthew Cox, 2009 world porridge making champion and marketing director at Bob's Red Mill. "Laurie's Italian Pinhead Torta was so unique and really showed the range of possibilities for our oats. We couldn't be happier to be champions again and are already looking forward to all the wonderful recipes in our Spar for the Spurtle 3 contest."

Additional information about Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats can be found at www.bobsredmill.com, and more information about the team's trip to Scotland can be found on the company's blog.  For more on the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, please visit www.goldenspurtle.com.

ABOUT BOB'S RED MILL
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, a distinctive stone-grinding miller of whole grains, was founded in 1978 with the mission of moving people back to the basics with healthy whole grains, high-fiber and complex carbohydrates. Bob's Red Mill, an employee-owned company, offers a diverse line of more than 400 all natural, organic and gluten-free flours, cereals, meals and mixes for pancakes, breads and soups that are available throughout the U.S. and the world.  With its dedicated gluten-free manufacturing facility, strict organic protocols and dedication to meeting the highest food safety standards in the country, the company has obtained its HACCP certification and is a leader in providing safe and delicious natural, organic and gluten-free products. For more information, please visit www.bobsredmill.com. Additional information is available at www.facebook.com/BobsRedMillNaturalFoods, www.twitter.com/Bobs_Red_Mill and www.bobsredmill.com/blog/.

SOURCE Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods