Behind the Scenes of The Golden Spurtle
Tracy and Coco in front of the village hall, October 2024.
The World Porridge Making Championship is my favourite kind of competition. So much so, that I entered three years running. You can read all about the Golden Spurtle in my original 2022 blog post.
In 2022, my first year, I made it to the final round - it was amazing to be in the top six competitors, so I didn’t mind not winning. One of the other finalists was an Australian chef called Toby Wilson, and after the final round we briefly chatted about how he wanted to bring a film crew back the following year.
Carrbridge village hall audience for the final round of 2022 Golden Spurtle. Toby Wilson and Chieftain Charlie Miller foreground right. October 2022
Fast forward to 2023, and a film crew capture the lead-up to the competition. There was only five of them in the crew, a small scale documentary was the assumption. No matter, we’re always happy to talk porridge.
Director Constantine (Con) was super-friendly and made me feel comfortable. Another Australian, Dimitri, was lining up the shots - he was the cinematographer. A final Aussie, Rebecca the producer, was the organisational powerhouse. Coco and I were initially filmed bursting out the studio door onto Balfour Street, with me proclaiming that we were competing in the Golden Spurtle. We did that a few times…
Coco meeting the crew: Director Constantine Conti, Soundguy Dougie from across Pilrig Park, cinematographer Dimitri Zaunders and Producer Rebecca Lamond. September 2023
Filming continued on our allotment, talking oats and the importance of food in general. We had a brief flapjack break, where I tested my speciality recipe on the crew, see photo.
Coco supervising a snack break at the allotment. September 2023
The final segment was filmed at one of my favourite spots, the top of the hill at Pilrig Park. There is a wonderful view, however we were all getting a bit cold. Dimitri thought a bench press up was a boring shot, too much tarmac. So we moved onto the grass and I remembered it was possible to do a press up against a tree. It’s not something I do often, but it is doable, and more picturesque!
The crew were at the 2023 Golden Spurtle competition but it was very difficult for them to film as the hall was rammed, and it was bucketing with rain outside (you’ll see in the movie!). Maybe that’s why there’s not as much footage of the competition as you might expect. The speciality category, that my Pan-fried Flapjacks recipe got a judge’s commendation for, was absent from the film. I think it might have confused the audience, and also been less funny.
Anyhow, after the competition, we thought no more of the documentary. I competed again in 2024 and decided three times of travelling to the Highlands for a weekend to prepare porridge was enough. Here’s my final cook station…
Note Healthy Living Yearbook on table, that makes it into film. Coincidentally first recipe in the book is… porridge!
2025 came and I was secretly relieved to retire from the world of competitive porridge making. My life was busy enough, but I thought about the beautiful village of Carrbridge… And then around Easter time, an invite! To a sneak preview of the new Golden Spurtle documentary. It was a special screening for the villagers, volunteers and any competitors who wanted to journey to Carrbridge to watch it in the village hall. I couldn’t resist an excuse to spend a weekend in the Highlands. We were warmly welcomed and seated at the front, Coco snoozing on lap.
Seeing the documentary for the first time, in the village hall it was filmed at, with the cast and crew present, was such a special moment. We were blown away with how beautifully the film tells the story of Chieftain Charlie Miller’s final year of running the Golden Spurtle. It seemed we were not the only people bitten by the Spurtlebug. And the warm oaty vibes are contagious.
Tracy and Coco in Carrbridge Village hall before the special screening, April 2025
The Golden Spurtle premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) in August. It had gone down very well at the Copenhagen and Sydney film festivals, full houses and extra screenings required. The week before EIFF, the official film poster was released with Coco included. Coco the fitness pug, clown, constant companion now also a moofie star!
Fitness and porridge pug Coco on far left, poster released August 2025.
A photocall was arranged in the Caledonian hotel on the day of the premiere. We met the PR manager from UK distributors Dogwoof, who bubbled with enthusiasm for our doggy star, Coco. Photos were taken, we were led up to a conference room on the 1st floor and then the group shot with Director Constantine Conti, Producers Rebecca Lamond and very happy John Archer and some of us contestants in front of a logoed black screen. Very Hollywood.
Photocall of cast and crew, Edinburgh International Film Festival, August 2025
Photoshoot over, we caught the 16 bus to the Cameo to watch the audience go in to the first official UK screening. A queue formed down the street. The first of many UK screenings…
Coco on the red carpet for the UK premiere, Cameo Cinema, August 2025.
The EIFF Filmhouse screening was very special. When I first moved to Edinburgh I knew no one and used to hang out in the Fimhouse foyer cafe and bar with a book. So it was awesome to see my fitness studio, life and dog on Screen 1, the big screen, nearly 30 years later (and the Filmhouse reopened).
Life is mysterious, and if you told me as a youngster that one day I would be in a film about porridge in Scotland, I would’ve wondered what journey would take me there. I’m in my fifties now, and I still love porridge as much as I did when my Nanna Jean made it for me as a child in Australia. It’s so simple. That is life. Simple.
Director Constantine Conti, PT Tracy, Producer Rebecca Lamond, EIFF Filmhouse screening, August 2025
In Edinburgh the Golden Spurtle is screening at Cameo, Filmhouse, Everyman and Vue Omni cinemas. It’s showing around 100 cinemas across the UK, check for your local here.
Have you seen the Golden Spurtle? What do you think? Drop me a line!
PT Tracy on the EIFF red carpet, Filmhouse, August 2025
WATCH THE GOLDEN SPURTLE 2025 COMPETITION LIVE!
Griffen Fitness is delighted that we’re an official Golden Spurtle 2025 viewing venue. We’ll be livestreaming the competition direct to Leith. It’s on 10am - 5pm on Saturday 4 October, and entry is by cash donation to Mary’s Meals (there will be a collection cup at the door, give as much or as little as you wish).
Instead of whisky tasting in-between rounds, we’ll be offering locally grown herbal tea tastings with our compliments. Come and learn all about the joys of competitive porridge making and let’s chat oats. More info on the Facebook invite or just turn up on the day…
