Local butchers’ products earn national recognition

Seven products from two Orkney butchers have won national recognition, earning either gold or silver awards from Scottish Craft Butchers.

Donaldsons of Orkney, based in Kirkwall, have come away with gold awards for their dry-cured back bacon and dry-cured smoked back bacon and silver awards for their dry-cured streaky bacon and dry-cured smoked streaky bacon.

Craigie Butchers Ltd, of Tankerness, came away with three awards, earning gold for their steak burger and silver for both their farmhouse burger and maple bacon.

The products were judged at Forth Valley College, Stirling, earlier this month, with the three categories where the Orkney butchers saw awards — beefburgers, unsmoked bacon and smoked bacon — seeing three diamond, 59 gold and 123 silver awards presented to butchers from around the whole of Scotland.

Paul Boyle, President of the Scottish Craft Butchers added: “These evaluations always reveal really appealing products that craft butchers make and sell. The superior quality of ‘home’ cured products is widely acknowledged by customers and the innovative range comes as a response to customer becoming more adventurous with their tastes and they are always keen to support local businesses who make their own unique quality products. It is always worth going the extra mile for something extra special.”