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Bob’s Red Mill Launches Search for Best Porridge Maker in the United States

Winner of Company’s 3rd Annual Spar for the Spurtle Competition To Compete at the World Championship in Scotland

May, 2013 – Fresh off winning its second title in four years at the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland, Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods is once again looking to crown a United States Porridge Making Champion to represent the company at the international competition. The leading provider of whole grain foods and the official purveyor of the “World’s Best Oatmeal” is calling on foodies and oatmeal lovers across the country to enter their best recipes in the company’s third annual Spar for the Spurtle United States Porridge Making Championship.

The competition invites oatmeal enthusiasts to submit videos demonstrating an original recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats – the official “World’s Best Oatmeal.” From the entries, the company will select three finalists and fly them to Portland, Ore., to compete in a live cook-off. The winner of that cook-off will travel with the Bob’s Red Mill team to compete in the 20th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland this October.

“We have had so much fun over the past few years, not only in Scotland but also at our own Spar for the Spurtle cook-off right here at our world headquarters,” said Bob Moore, founder, president and CEO of employee-owned Bob’s Red Mill. “We just can’t wait to see what people come up with this year.”

The 2012 Spar for the Spurtle winner, Laurie Figone of Petaluma, Calif., competed spurtle-to-spurtle with the Scots and an international field at the World Championship with her Italian Pinhead Torta and won the prestigious Speciality Trophy, awarded to the competitor who prepares a creative “blending and harmony of porridge with other ingredients.” World title winners are also selected in categories for Traditional Porridge (allowing for the use of only oats, water and salt) and People’s Choice.

This year, the Golden Spurtle is celebrating its 20th year of competition in the Scottish Highland village of Carrbridge. Bob’s Red Mill first competed in the World Championship in 2009, becoming the first American contenders to do so. In that first year competing, Bob’s Red Mill won the World Championship and the highly coveted Golden Spurtle trophy, awarded in the Traditional Porridge category (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). Since 2011, the company has turned to its fans for representation at the competition, and its 2012 Spar for the Spurtle contest drew nearly 100 entries.

“We have just been blown away by the Spar for the Spurtle recipes we’ve received over the past two years,” said Matthew Cox, the 2009 World Porridge Making Champion and marketing director at Bob’s Red Mill. “For our 2012 Spar for the Spurtle winner to travel to Scotland and beat the Scots at their own game shows just how creative our fans are, and we have very high hopes for this year’s entries.”

Anyone interested in entering the third annual Spar for the Spurtle should visit www.sparforthespurtle.com to submit a video demonstration of an original recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats may also be used in place of regular Steel Cut Oats). Videos can be no longer than three minutes and should demonstrate a creative use of the oats. Dishes can be sweet or savory – they just need to be cooked on the stovetop and able to be created from start to finish within 30 minutes.

All eligible videos will be posted on the Spar for the Spurtle website. The top three contestants selected by Bob’s Red Mill as the finalists will be flown to Portland for the live cook-off. During the live 30-minute cook-off, the three finalists will prepare their oatmeal recipes from scratch for a panel of celebrity judges in conditions that mirror those at the Golden Spurtle competition.

New this year, anyone entering the contest will receive a coupon that can be redeemed at his or her favorite retailer for a free bag of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (standard or gluten free). In addition, anyone not selected as a finalist will be entered into a random drawing to win a year’s supply of Steel Cut Oats.
 

Spar for the Spurtle Official Prize Packages

Based on the video submissions, three finalists will be chosen to receive the ultimate trip for Bob’s Red Mill fans. The Finalist Prize Package includes:
   • Round-trip airfare to Portland, Oregon
   • Three-nights’ accommodations at a downtown Portland hotel
   • A tour of Bob’s Red Mill led by company founder Bob Moore
   • A gift basket filled with Bob’s Red Mill products and merchandise
   • $100 Bob’s Red Mill Gift Card
   • A spot in the live cook-off for a chance at the Grand Prize
   • $100 for cook-off supplies

The winner of the live cook-off will receive the Grand Prize Package, which includes the following:
   • Round-trip airfare for two to Scotland to represent the Bob’s Red Mill team at the 20th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in October 2013
   • Two nights’ accommodations in Edinburg, three nights’ accommodations in Carrbridge (for two)
   • Rail transportation between Edinburgh and Carrbridge (for two)
   • $2500 cash

The deadline for recipe submissions is July 22, 2013.
For more information on all of Bob’s Red Mill’s products, please visit www.bobsredmill.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 United States 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.