A north-east butcher has been crowned chieftain of the pudding race after scooping a top award for his take on the chip shop favourite.
John Brown, of AE Brown and Sons in Turriff, was announced as the winner of the Scottish Craft Butchers’ white pudding competition at a ceremony in his Main Street shop yesterday.
His puddings – popular in chippies across Scotland as a supper in their own right – competed against products from across the country to take the title.
The Brown family have been making their white puddings to same recipe since 1957.
And last night, Mr Brown said he was “delighted” to have been honoured by his peers.
“We have not changed a single thing since it is a popular traditional recipe and a good seller,” he said.
“We use as much Scottish produce as possible in all our recipes and the white pudding is no exception.
“Using Scottish oatmeal, onions and suet from beef supplied from Inverurie and then filled into natural casings ensures that only the best goes into our puddings.”
Tracey Gardner of Grampian Oat Products, which sponsored the competition, said she was “impressed” by the standard of the entries.
Forty-six butchers across Scotland, including ones in Fraserburgh and Shetland, entered the contest.
Royan’s of Elgin, which was taken over by Davidson’s Specialist Butchers last year, was among the shops commended – landing a gold award.
Owner John Davidson said the award was a way of continuing the legacy of the 166-year-old shop.
He added: “The recipe for the white pudding is more than 100-years-old, and that should prove that you can’t beat time-tested methods.”