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An Arbroath butcher has cooked up success with an updated black pudding recipe.

Steven Bennet, owner of DH Robertson on Fisheracre, lifted the East of Scotland regional title in the 2024 Black Pudding Championship and was named reserve champion for the whole of Scotland.

The new recipe’s popularity with staff and customers prompted him to enter the championship.

“We’re absolutely overwhelmed,” said Steven.  “It’s just amazing.  The competition attracted some of the best black pudding makers in the country and we’re thrilled to have come out on top in the east of Scotland and be judged the reserve champion in the entire country.  We’re thrilled.”

Family-run DH Robertson is no stranger to top awards, with steak sausages and haggis claiming titles in the past.

“Our black pudding had never taken a top prize before,” said Steven, who took over the Arbroath business with his wife Pamela 17 years ago.

“To change the recipe slightly seems to have made all the difference so we’ll be keeping it that way from now on.”

More than 60 independent Scottish butchers entered this year’s Black Pudding Championship, run by Scottish Craft Butchers and sponsored by Scobies Direct.

Steven added: “For a small shop like ours, which only produces small batches of handmade black pudding, to punch above our weight like this is fantastic reward for the family and the staff who all work so hard.  We’re chuffed to bits.”

Scottish Craft Butchers executive manager Gordon King said: “Every butcher in Scotland wants to win a title it the Black Pudding Championship.

“It’s an iconic product.  We had an extremely strong field of top entries from across Scotland and those who won regional titles were of an exceedingly high standard.

“Steven Bennett and his team produced a stunner that captured the votes of our judges – many of whom are top industry leaders – and was worthy of a regional championship and a reserve slot in the whole of Scotland.”

This article appeared in The Courier on 30 May 2024.