A NORTH Berwick-based butcher is celebrating after it was judged the makers of Scotland’s finest black pudding.

When the final of this year’s Scottish Black Pudding Championship was held earlier this month at the Edinburgh New Town Cook School, it was Anderson's Quality Butchers who came out on top.

As South East of Scotland champions, Anderson’s represented the region at the Scottish final and its black pudding fought off all the other regional champions to take the title.

The black puddings from all the regional champions were purchased by mystery shoppers – these included puddings from Largs, Strathaven, Inverness and Kinross – and then put to the test in a final cook-off.

The panel of experts was led by Fiona Burrell, principal at the Edinburgh New Town Cook School, assisted by her staff members Kerri Pallister and Susie Henderson.

The ladies chose Anderson’s as the best butcher’s black pudding in Scotland

Ryan Anderson, who makes the black pudding, said: "This is fantastic since this is the first time that we have entered the competition.

"We have only been making black pudding for about a year.

"When my cousin Martin Ramsay came to work with me he suggested that we make black pudding; it turned out not to be such a problem as I had feared.

“We played around with the recipe, did taste tests with customers and they now feel that it is much better than anything we sold before.

"It has proven very popular, with customers even taking it abroad.”

Douglas Scot, chief executive of Scottish Craft Butchers, said: “Butchers all over the country try to make the very best meat products.

"Speciality products can have customers going out of their way and making special journeys just to buy these products.

"Black pudding more than most has a cult-like following and that is why to win this title is the ambition of almost every butcher who makes black pudding.

“Now even more, with this national confirmation of greatness, the North Berwick black will become much sought after."