Three Fife butchers take gold and silver at 2019 awards

Andrew Kirk, Cardenden butcher, winner at the Scottish Craft Butchers Haggis/Pork Products Awards 2019.

Andrew Kirk from Cardenden, Tom Courts from Burntisland and Kevin McArthur from Puddldub Pork, Kirkcaldy were among those honoured at the recent Scottish Craft Butchers Haggis/Pork Products Awards 2019.

Andrew, whose business is in Station Road, won gold for their pork sausage with haggis and pepper sauce, and their lean fire cracker stir fry.

He also took two silver awards Andrew Kirk for his beef olives with haggis and whisky sauce, and their pork and apple meatballs in tomato sauce.

Tom Courts, Burntisland butcher, winner at the Scottish Craft Butchers Haggis/Pork Products Awards 2019.

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Kevin McArthur, Puddledub Pork, Kirkcaldy butcher

Andrew said: “We’re very demanding of ourselves. We want to develop new products that will catch the eye.

“These award-winning products are the result of a joint effort by all the staff in devising and developing them.”

Andrew Kirk was one of around 60 butchers from all over Scotland who submitted a wide variety of handcrafted products which were judged blind in one of the industry’s most keenly contested awards.

That also resulted in awards for Burntisland’s family butchers, Tom Courts.

He won two gold and two silver awards.

A gold-winning haggis en-croute was judged to be among the best of its type in Scotland and set to extend the local haggis-eating season far beyond Burns Night.

Tom also won gold with their Jamaica pork sausages, while haggis bon bons and stuffed pork Fillet each earned silver.

Tom said: “The haggis en-croute was created especially for the competition and as a pre-cursor to Burns Night.

“Experimental dishes can range from the horrific to the terrific and a lot of work goes in to getting it just right. We’re thrilled and delighted that it’s proved a winner with the judges.”

Tom said that the evaluation awards were a chance for Scotland’s craft butchers to shine and showcase their talents.

“Our award-winning products are a real team effort and everyone should be proud of their achievements,” he said. “The customers love to see us doing well ad now that our products have earned acclaim from our peers and the industry.”

Puddledub Pork took three gold awards their savoury pork escalopes, special pork burgers and Rabbie Burns’ pork sausage.

Puddledub Pork, which has a processing and production unit at the company farm at Auchtertool and a concession shop at Dobbies in Dunfermline, say this latest round of successes for their handcrafted products will provide a great boost to the whole team.

“Everyone can share in the success of these awards,” said Kevin. “It’s great to see that what we are doing is winning the praise of the butchers industry and our peers.”