Britain’s black pudding champion butchers take on the UK in first-ever nationwide showdown

Britain’s finest black pudding makers are being invited to take part in the ultimate butchers’ challenge – the first ever Black Pudding UK Champion of Champions competition. The nationwide championship will pitch champion independent craft butchers from both sides of the Border in a head-to-head title race in London on February 26, 2025.

Staged by Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB), National Craft Butchers (NCB) and Q Guild of Butchers, the prestigious event at the capital’s Butchers’ Hall could become an annual or biennial battle. And it’s one that SCB Executive Manager Gordon King believes will represent the ultimate accolade for black pudding masters.

“Everyone invited to compete is a champion in their own right,” said Gordon, “so this really will be a battle of the Titans. “Black Pudding competitions are always fiercely fought events among our butchers and the upcoming UK title will be the one they all want to win – especially as it’s the first ever champions’ showdown of its type.”

Black pudding is now recognised by health experts as a superfood – full of nutritional ingredients that give each recipe its own blend of taste, aroma and palate-pleasing flavours.

NCB MD, Eleanor O’Brien explained that the competition would pit a range of very different black puddings against each other. “Black pudding recipes vary from region to region, so we are sure to see a wide variety of products in the championship line-up,” she said. “Some recipes date back generations and are much loved by our butchers’ customers.”

Among those being invited to go forward to the UK event are 3 Gold Award winners from NCB’s Product Awards, five reigning regional champions in the Scottish Craft Butchers, and winners from the Q Guild Smithfield awards. This includes Scottish Black Pudding Champion Nigel Ovens from Wemyss Bay who has lifted the Scottish title an unprecedented four times with both his McCaskie and Pirie brands of the superfood and Craig Thomas, Martin Thomas Butchers whose Black pudding has won numerous national and international awards!

The event is being sponsored by DB Foods and Sales Director George Holliday said the company was incredibly proud to sponsor the first-ever UK-wide Black Pudding Champion of Champions competition. “This landmark event celebrates the skill, dedication, and passion that go into crafting one of Britain’s most iconic products,” he said. “As a leading name in the meat industry, we are thrilled to support this historic moment and recognize the very best in black pudding making. Best of luck to all the talented participants—we can’t wait to see who takes home the title!”

The winner of the inaugural Black Pudding UK Champion of Champions competition will be announced on National Black Pudding Day – March 18, 2025.

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