A THIRD generation family butcher has made history after becoming the first shop to win the national award for its black pudding on two separate occasions.
McCaskie’s in Wemyss Bay was named Scotland’s Black Pudding Champion at the 2022 Scottish Craft Butcher Awards.
The accolade cements McCaskie’s as the country’s most decorated pudding maker with 20 leading national and regional awards for its black pudding and haggis.
Founded in 1935 by Mearns T. McCaskie, the business is now owned and operated by his daughter Elizabeth Ovens and grandson, Nigel Ovens, along with Nigel’s wife, Helen Ovens.
The business now produces up to 1000 lbs of black pudding every week to supply to customers across the UK.
Nigel said: “I am absolutely over the moon to have won the national title again for our black pudding.
“When I joined the family firm our black pudding wasn’t quite right. It was the first thing I changed and it became a passionate crusade on my part to transform the recipe into something special.
“To lift the national Scottish championship twice is just fantastic.”
McCaskie’s were vying against some of the best butchers from across Scotland to lift the crown in what was described as an extremely competitive category.
Gordon King, Executive Manager of Scottish Craft Butchers, said black pudding is one of the most important butchers’ traditional staples in Scotland and it`s now evolved into a gourmet ingredient in fine dining establishments as well as on our family breakfast tables.
He said: “Amongst stiff competition from the very best butchers in Scotland, McCaskie’s have established themselves as one of the most consistent winners of leading awards.
“We congratulate Nigel and the team at McCaskie’s for all their success with these iconic products.”
The award comes after McCaskie’s invested more than £1.5million in developing a state of the art production unit which was opened by HRH Princess Anne, as well as a new look and enlarged shop and refreshed e-commerce website.
Nigel added: “Perfecting my haggis and black pudding recipes has become something of an obsession for me over the years, and I am now really happy with where we have got to.
“I am delighted that the competition judges rate these products so highly. Each regional and national title gives the whole team here at McCaskie’s a real lift.
“We are going to make the most of this Scottish Craft Butchers national award to raise the profile of McCaskie’s and its award winning products and broaden their availability.”
McCaskie’s also supplies a select number of Scotland’s most highly regarded hotels and restaurants, including Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Eusebi Deli, Monachyle Mhor, L’Escargot Bleu, Café Continental, Inverkip Hotel, Seamill Hydro and Portavadie Resort.
