"Three top of class Irish producers who will be honoured and celebrated by the prestigious Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Pudding (La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Goute Boudin) - one of the world’s greatest authorities on black pudding. Over three days from September 20th – 22nd over 30 Knights of the fraternity will visit McCarthy’s of Kanturk, Caherbeg Free Range Pork Rosscarbery and Mayo’s Seán Kelly to award gold, silver and bronze medals. Street festivities are planned and this promises to be a great three day celebration of all that is exciting and special about Irish black pudding and telling that story to an international market".
I know from my many visits to la belle France, that the French absolutely adore le Boudin Noir, as they call black pudding, and it's a very chichi ingredient indeed. They also take food production amazingly seriously, so this is one ginormous pat on the back for McCarthy's, Caherbeg and Sean Kelly.
I'm going to reproduce Orla's press release in all its glory below so you can read about the event at your leisure.
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European Pudding Champions : Three Irish Butchers to be Knighted
The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Pudding, based in Normandy, France, is one of the worlds greatest authorities on Black Pudding. At the 2010 international awards three Irish Butchers were awarded medals. So impressed were the French by the quality of the puddings presented by the Irish entries that they decided to visit Ireland to bestow the awards in person and welcome McCarthys of Kanturk, Rosscarbery Recipes and Kelly's of Newport to the Fraternity. The Brotherhood will be in Ireland 20th - 22nd September.
La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin, was established in 1963 at Mortagne-au-Perche in the heart of the Perche region of France by a group of foodies to promote traditional black pudding. Black pudding has a history dating back over 2000 years and there are variations in many countries, so that the annual pudding festival hosted by the fraternity has become a major international event with over 600 entries in 2010.
At the launch announcing the visit, Martin Shanrahan of Fishy Fishy, celebrity chef and champion of Irish food said, “We may have found Ireland's natural resource with marvellous black puddings originating all over Ireland. It is great to see Ireland's food appreciated and loved internationally. As I've said before, no skin, no bone, no fear. Black pudding ticks all the boxes for me.”
The Pudding Parade
In recognition of the wonderful puddings created by the winning Irish entrants, Kanturk, Rosscarbery and Mayo are to be honoured by a parade of the French Pudding Fraternity in their colourful regalia.
Jack and Tim McCarthy, a father and son team, produced an incredible whiskey and cream pudding and received a Gold Medal. The pudding is big in both size and flavour. McCarthy's Butchers were established in 1892 and Tim is the fifth generation of the family to wield a cleaver. Kanturk welcomes the French Fraternity on the 21st September. At the launch Tim McCarthy said, “My Great Great Grandfather would be proud that the butchers he began is to be honoured with a visit from such black pudding connoisseurs. It is always great to receive recognition of our high quality products.”
Willie Allshire in Rosscarbery was the first Irish person to enter this competition in March 2007, where he became the first Irish person to receive a Gold Medal. Avril Allshire said, “We are obsessed with quality. When we travelled to France to receive our first award in 2007 many of the French were unaware of traditional Irish pudding so it is fantastic that three years later the Fraternity are honouring Ireland in this way.” Rosscarbery Recipes received a silver medal in 2010. All meat used in Rosscarbery Recipes products is sourced locally. Willie Allshire also produces free range outdoor pigs under the Caherbeg Free Range Pork label. Rosscarbery welcomes the French Fraternity on the 22nd September.
Sean Kelly's “Putog” is made in a traditional way to a secret recipe and has received great acclaim. This pudding was awarded a Bronze Medal at the French competition. Kelly's artisan butchers began 75 years ago, it has remained in the family for three generations and 70% of the livestock comes from their own farm. Newport welcomes the French Fraternity on the 20th September.
The Irish appreciate French food too
The Fraternity are opening the French Food Festival in Douglas, Cork on 22nd September. Organised by the acclaimed delicatessen Isabel Sheridan, proprietor of On the Pigs Back, the food fair promises everything from the finest French cheese and wines to some more unusual delicacies, such as Isabel's Pork and Plum pate with Cognac. This is the perfect opportunity to get hold of some fantastic food. Isabel is from the Loire Valley in the heart of France she said, “Although I have been promoting Irish food for 20 years this is the first time I have held a French Food Festival and it has had a wonderful reception from Cork.”
Martin Shanahan, Isabel Sheridan, Tim McCarthy & Avril Allshire chowing down on some delicious black pudding
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