D H Robertson butchers in Arbroath has been crowned the first ever Black Pudding UK Champion of Champions.
As the country celebrates National Black Pudding Day 2025, shop owner Steven Bennett said he was “bursting with pride” on learning of D H Robertson’s success.
Bennett runs the Arbroath family butcher business with a team of 12 staff, including his wife Pam and butcher daughter Ariane.
Steven Bennett said: “This is just amazing - overwhelming. To be judged as making the best black pudding in the whole of the UK is such an honour. We faced some amazing talent from the rest of the country and came out tops – that’s just fantastic.”
Staged by Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB), National Craft Butchers and Q Guild of Butchers, the event, according to the organisers, could become an annual or biennial battle among national and regional champion black pudding makers to find the “ultimate master”.
Bennett was invited to compete as the current East of Scotland and reserve national Scottish champion, with his black pudding already wowing Scottish judges. The step up to UK level, however, saw his recipe take on the UK’s finest as well as Scottish competition.
The winning black pudding was a “closely guarded” pre-WW2 recipe that Bennett had tweaked slightly to make competition ready.
“I never expected it in my wildest dreams.”
Steven Bennett, D H Robertson shop owner
Bennett continued: “It’s a recipe we inherited from Doug Robertson, a former owner of the business. The recipe book came with the shop. We reckon it dates back to before the Second World War and although our customers have been enjoying it for generations, I decided to dust it down and give it a wee tweak or two for today’s palette.
“It’s tremendous that a wee family business in a small coastal town in Scotland can triumph over the Goliaths of the industry.
“I’m so proud of my whole team for this amazing achievement. I never expected it in my wildest dreams.”
A “battle of the titans”
Gordon King, executive manager of Scottish Craft Butchers, said the Championship win was due recognition for Scotland’s independent craft butchers: “Everyone invited to compete is a champion in their own right, so it really was a battle of the titans.
“Black Pudding competitions are always fiercely fought events among our butchers and the UK title was the one they all wanted to win – especially as it’s the first ever champions’ showdown of its type.
“Scotland fielded a really strong team of regional and national champions and DH Robertson’s win underpins the belief that our small producers of high-quality food can triumph at UK level against the fiercest competition. It’s heartwarming to know that our members are not only considered the best but judged the best. You don’t have to be big to win big.”
The Black Pudding UK Champion of Champions panel of judges, headed by meat industry expert Keith Fisher, faced a difficult task when presented with the best in the business. A total of 12 products were judged in total – both raw and cooked.
The judges reported: “All the entries were excellent examples of the diversity of our country’s black pudding, making our job almost impossible.
“However, the winner had an excellent uncooked appearance, with complex flavour notes providing different taste experience throughout. Fruity notes, with lovely pepper aftertaste.”
