West Lothian butcher's link sausage crowned best in south-east Scotland
A West Lothian butchers reckon a pork sausage breakfast is the perfect start to a day.
And Hugh Black & Son's link sausage proved the perfect start to the judges' day at the recent Scottish Pork Sausage Championship 2025 – awarding it the best in Southeast Scotland.
Cameron Black was at the Scottish Craft Butchers' competition in Perth to lift the Southeast Scotland Championship and he said the whole team was 'over the moon'.
Now one of the country's largest independent butchers, with 13 shops throughout the central belt of Scotland, Hugh Black & Sons remains a family run affair.
Cameron, grandson of the original founder, said it was especially pleasing to get rewarded for what the family believe is a really good product.
'Our craft around 500 kilos of pork links at our Bathgate factory every week for distribution to our 13 shops,' he said. 'It's one of our biggest sellers and a product we're really proud of.'
True to Cameron's granddad's original recipe, the award-winning sausage is now flying off the shelves with production going into overdrive to meet demand.
'Word has got out and they're selling like hotcakes,' said Cameron.
'You'll not hear us complaining though. It's great to be back among the champions and we'll be back to retain our title next time and really push for the Scottish Championship.'
Hugh Black & Sons have butcher shops in Armadale, Bathgate, Linlithgow and Whitburn.
Gordon King, executive manager with Scottish Craft Butchers, praised Cameron and the whole team for their regional win, pointing out the high standard of competition they faced.
'The Scottish Pork Sausage Championship is one of the most coveted and fiercely contested competitions in the business,' he said, 'and to lift a regional title is a real achievement and recognition of an outstanding product.
'The standard of entry this year was extremely high which reflects well on our local independent craft butchers who supply this household staple food as one of their key products on a daily basis.'
Judith Johnston, senior account manager with championships sponsors Lucas Ingredients, praised the extremely high standard of competition and the regional champion.
He said: 'Lucas Ingredients is extremely proud to be associated with the Scottish Pork Sausage Championship and would like to congratulate everyone at Hugh Black & Sons on securing the Southeast Champion title in such a prestigious event.'
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