Kells butcher takes top puddings award

Kells butcher Thomas Doherty won a national award at the Craftbutchers Sausage and Pudding competition final at the RDS in Dublin. It was the first time for Thomas, whose shop is based in Cannon Street, to enter but he returned home to Kells as Ireland's best black pudding-maker for 2009. The judges were highly impressed by his craftmanship and the quality of his puddings. The Association of Craft Butchers of Ireland chief executive, Pat Brady, said this achievement on the part of one of the younger members of the trade represented real dedication that could only be achieved by maintaining the highest of standards. A measure of this achievement is that in order to win, competitors come through a tough regional event and then a national final at which different judges assessed the products.