A SCOTTISH butcher shop has walked away with a prestigious national award for their "innovative" and "tasty" truffled hog pork parcels.
The specially crafted product from Bo'ness butchers Thomas Burns & Son won the coveted Scottish Craft Butchers “Make It With Pork” evaluation at the 2024 Diamond Awards.
Thrilled owners Jane Ross and Emma Burns revealed that they had used their 2020 championship-winning speciality pork sausage as the basis of the item, allowing them to take yet another title.
Scottish butchers win coveted award for 'innovative' pork product
After winning the award, the Scottish butchers acknowledged how Ross’s teenage son Luke had been the brains behind their latest winner.
She said: “Luke is the creative genius behind our artisan craft products and he came up with the Truffled Hog specially for the competition.
“He used our national award-winning specially selected pork, applewood smoked cheese and leek sausage mix to create the filling for the new product.
“He then used a flattened slice of lean pork tenderloin to wrap the mix and create a little pig shape, coated in truffle glaze and finished off with cheese snout and ears.”
Ahead of the evaluation, enthusiastic customers had helped the butchers trial, tweak and perfect the Truffled Hog.
Ross continued: “We entered several of Luke’s pork products for the evaluation but couldn’t believe it when we lifted the Best In Scotland accolade – it’s absolutely brilliant."
Discussing how this has affected them and those around them, Ross said that it had been "great for Luke, great for the business and great for the town."
She added: “Even as a little boy Luke loved animals so it seems right that his creation in the form of a little pig should win him the title.”
Burns explained that Thomas Burns & Son is the last butcher shop in Bo'ness - which had 10 at one time.
She said: “This business was started by our grandfather Thomas Burns in 1954, with Dad joining in 1965 and Jane and I taking over several years ago.
“Our pork sausage mix recipe dates back to the 1950s and it’s terrific that it’s still a winner.”
The sisters also secured a Gold Award in the Dalziel Ltd. sponsored evaluation for both their pork and mango chilli hotpot and pork, sundried tomato and mozzarella basket entries and a Silver for their nacho pork tacos.
Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB) executive manager Gordon King said: "It is the epitome of Make It With Pork [...] and the innovative piggy parcels will appeal to people of all ages and encourage children to enjoy pork.
“Thomas Burns & Son has a great track record for title winners by thinking outwith the box and showing Scotland’s independent craft butchers at their best. Their truffled hogs are an inspiration and a very worthy winner of our Diamond Award.
“It was so clever of them to use their award-winning speciality pork sausage as the basis of the new creation,” he added.
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“Using what they already know is a champion to bring something new to the table and deliver yet another champion.”
Danny Upson of sponsors Dalziel Ltd. said: “The commitment to quality and innovation showcased here is nothing short of inspiring.
"Each entry reflects a passion for excellence, and we congratulate the team at Thomas Burns & Son for shining the brightest among such star quality.”
