Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB) has named the winners of its 2026 Beef Burger Championship and 30-minute Ready Meal Championship.
In its Beef Burger Championship, family butchers Hugh Black & Son were awarded first place, with SCB highlighting that the shop had beaten competition from “some of the finest independent producers” in the country.
The butchers, which operates 13 shops from Cambuslang to Lochgelly, employs around 170 people across its shops and manufacturing and distribution centre at Bathgate.
Hugh Black, director and son of the original founder, said he personally attends the local market each week to select the finest cattle on offer for the company’s beef products – mainly locally reared Limousin heifers.
Black commented: “This title has always eluded us, and we’re absolutely thrilled to win it for all our staff and our customers.
“We know we produce a quality beef burger but to have it judged the best in Scotland – against some top-tier competition – is really amazing and we’re chuffed to bits.
“Every day, staff are hand-crafting these burgers to our own recipe in small batches at all our outlets and their passion, commitment and consistency mean that no matter where you shop at Hugh Black & Sons, you will be getting the same product that lifted the Championship.
“There’s no secret to our recipe other than using the very best flavoursome brisket and chuck cuts and finest seasoning. There’s no machine involved so the texture is perfect.”
Gordon King, executive manager of SCB, stated: “A beef burger is all about the quality ingredients and the handcrafting in-house, which Hugh Black and his team have down to a fine art.
“Beef burgers are now a staple of our independent butchers year round – not just during barbecue season – and our judges have recognised and rewarded one of the best producers in the business.”
Kinnaird Butcher Shop and Deli’s ‘Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Garlic Sauce’ was awarded the Diamond Award to secure the Scottish Craft Butchers’ 30-minute Ready Meal Championship.
The title is the fifth SCB Diamond Award to be won by the Larbert butcher since owner Gavin Colquhoun launched the business in 2022.
Colquhoun commented: “Lamb is not our biggest seller, so I decided to come up with different ways of presenting it to our customers. Ready meals are a rapidly expanding sector of the butcher’s business so we played around with Moroccan flavours and different combinations before hitting on the trophy winner.
“It’s a success for the whole team – and our customers. We try out all our new products on our customers and if they come in asking for it again – we know we have a winner.
“People kept asking for these Moroccan Lamb Meatballs after the initial tastings so we thought we would enter them for the ready meals competition. We’re absolutely thrilled to lift the award for the best ready meal in Scotland – it’s a terrific achievement and I’m delighted for the whole team.”
Gordon King of SCB said that he knew the judges had “hit on something special” when they tasted the product: “Every one of them said ‘wow’ when they sampled the dish. It’s rare to get a reaction like that from so many people and the marks were sky high.”
