BLACK pudding king Andrew Holt has cooked up his 100th award.

Andrew, who runs R S Ireland, The Real Lancashire Black Pudding Company, in Waterfoot, won best sausage category in the North West Food Producer of the Year contest.

Using a recipe dating from 1879, all eight staff have intense pride in their product, which is hand tied in the traditional way. Past winning recipes have included a roule pudding with a date and walnut filling, and a 'roly poly pud' with an apple and blackcurrant swirl.

The latest event, which attracted nearly 300 entries, was judged by 14 experts. When he is not winning awards, Andrew makes more than two-and-half tonnes of black pudding per week at his firm before selling them not just in the North West but across Europe on the internet. His recipe is a closely guarded secret and is full of his very own herbs and spices.

Steven Doherty, chef at the Punchbowl Inn at Crossthwaite said the award-winning black pudding was "a classic product which is everything a black pudding should be. Puddings this good should be on every butcher's counter." Craig Bancroft, general manager of the acclaimed Northcote Manor hotel and restaurant, was chairman of the judging panel. He said: "The overall quality of the products we judged was fantastic - an event like this really confirms to me that there is a real renaissance in the North West's food. There are many many producers with huge passion and skill in our region."

Andrew, who has been with the company for eleven years said: "We are now distributing our black puddings all over the country and are taking more and more orders from regional and national chefs who want our product on their menu." Andrew added: "Ireland's are reluctant to supply the major multiples but we do sell to Booth's Supermarkets whom we believe share our philosophy of wanting to supply a high-quality product to customers who love their local food."