What Is a Spurtle?
A spurtle is a traditional Scottish wooden utensil used for stirring porridge. The form most familiar today is a long, narrow wooden rod, although historically the word was also used for other kitchen implements.1
The spurtle has been part of Scottish cooking for centuries, and its simple design remains useful for porridge and other foods that require regular stirring.
What Is a Spurtle Used For?
Porridge is the use most closely associated with the spurtle. The Scottish National Dictionary records a spurtle as a short, round stick used for stirring porridge, soup and similar foods, with historical expressions including porridge spurtle and spurtle stick.1
The National Trust for Scotland describes porridge and broths being stirred with a spurtle in Scottish households from the 17th century onwards.2
Today, a spurtle can also be used for soups, sauces and other mixtures where a long wooden stirring utensil is useful.
Where Did the Spurtle Come From?
The exact origin of the spurtle is uncertain, though the Scottish National Dictionary records the Older Scots form spurtell from 1528. The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue also records forms including spurtill and spurtle in 16th-century sources, when the word could refer more generally to a pot-stick or spatula.1
Later Scottish usage included both flat-bladed implements used for turning foods and the round stick associated with stirring porridge, soup and broth.1
Traditional spurtles could be made from locally available wood, sometimes from a suitable branch or root. The World Porridge Making Championship notes that the precise history of the familiar rod-shaped spurtle is unclear despite its long association with Scottish cooking.3
Why Use a Spurtle Instead of a Spoon?
A wooden spoon has a broad bowl for scooping and serving, while a traditional rod spurtle is made primarily for stirring.
The World Porridge Making Championship describes the traditional form as a wooden rod, usually around 25 cm long, designed for stirring porridge and helping to prevent lumps as it cooks.3
What Does a Traditional Spurtle Look Like?
The World Porridge Making Championship distinguishes between two traditional forms: the rod spurtle, a simple straight piece of wood, and the couthie spurtle, which has a flat blade at one end and could also be used for turning foods such as eggs or oatcakes. The rod form most closely associated with porridge today may be straight or tapered.3
Some traditional examples also have decoration at the handle end, including designs based on the Scottish thistle.3
How to Use a Spurtle
To use a spurtle for porridge, hold it by the upper end and stir the oats and liquid as they cook, keeping the mixture moving through the saucepan.
There is also a Scottish tradition around stirring direction: the World Porridge Making Championship records holding the spurtle in the right hand and stirring clockwise. The National Trust for Scotland likewise reproduces a traditional porridge recipe that calls for the mixture to be stirred "sun-wise", or clockwise.3, 2
What Wood Are Spurtles Made From?
Historically, spurtles could be made from whatever suitable wood was available locally. Modern spurtles are made from a much wider range of timbers.3
We use both Australian Blackwood and Huon Pine for our Classic Spurtle.
Australian Blackwood
Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is an Australian hardwood known for its rich colour and varied grain. WoodSolutions describes its heartwood as golden brown, sometimes with reddish streaks or darker growth-ring markings. The grain may be straight or develop a wavy or fiddleback figure, and the timber turns and finishes well.4
Huon Pine
Huon Pine is a Tasmanian timber with a golden colour, fine even grain and natural preserving oil that gives it a distinctive scent. Tasmanian Timber also notes its high workability, particularly with hand tools.5
How to Care for a Wooden Spurtle
A naturally finished wooden spurtle should be washed gently after use. Warm water is often sufficient, with a quick wash using warm water and detergent when needed for oilier foods. Avoid leaving wooden kitchenware wet or soaking for extended periods.6
Repeated washing can gradually dry the timber. When it begins to look dry, we recommend re-oiling it with our food-safe Wood Butter or a suitable refined vegetable oil.6
Our Australian-Made Classic Spurtle
Our Classic Spurtle is handcrafted and measures approximately 28 cm long, with slight variations expected because each piece is individually made from natural timber.
It follows the familiar elongated spurtle form and is suitable for stirring porridge as well as other thick or saucy dishes. You can choose between Australian Blackwood and golden Huon Pine.
Shop the Classic Spurtle in Blackwood & Huon Pine