Astrophysicist crowned World Porridge Making Champion

An astrophysicist from Greater Manchester has been crowned world champion in making porridge.



Simon Rookyard, from Tyldesley, Wigan, was handing in his PhD thesis on pulsars last month and two weeks later, has now taken the title at the 22nd annual World Porridge Making Championship.

Mr Rookyard beat off competition from an international line-up that included a Finnish biochemist, a Swedish doctor, a Norwegian museum manager, a South African chef and an American personal assistant to win the coveted Golden Spurtle award.



Locked away in the Scottish Highland village of Carrbridge, in the Cairngorms National Park, the contestants battled it out to make the best traditional porridge using just three ingredients – oatmeal, salt and water.