The last remaining butcher’s shop in Bo’ness has won the Diamond Award in the 2024 Scottish Craft Butchers ‘Make It With Pork’ competition.
Thomas Burns & Son trotted off with the top prize for its Truffled Hog pork parcels, the brainchild of teenage butcher Luke Ross, whose mother Jane co-owns the business with her sister Emma Burns.
“Luke is the creative genius behind our artisan craft products, and he came up with the Truffled Hog specially for the competition,” explained Jane. “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.”
Customers helped trial, tweak and perfect the Truffled Hogs before they went up against competition from craft butchers from all over Scotland.
“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,” said Jane. “Great for Luke, great for the business and great for the town.”
The business was founded by Jane and Emma’s grandfather Thomas Burns in the West Lothian town – once home to 10 butchers – in 1954, with their father joining in 1965. The sisters took the reins several years ago.
The shop also secured a Gold Award for both its Pork & Mango Chilli Hotpot and Pork, Sundried Tomato & Mozzarella Basket entries, and a Silver for its Nacho Pork Tacos.
Despite all this innovation, there’s one thing in the shop that has remained unchanged over the years. “Our pork sausage mix recipe dates back to the 1950s and it’s terrific that it’s still a winner,” said Emma.
Scottish Craft Butchers (SCB) executive manager Gordon King said the winning Truffled Hogs were exactly what judges were looking for.
“It is the epitome of Make It With Pork,” he said, “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.
“It was so clever of them to use their award-winning specialty pork sausage as the basis of the new creation. Using what they already know is a champion to bring something new to the table and deliver yet another champion.”
The 2024 Make It With Pork evaluation was staged in September to allow independent craft butchers in Scotland to promote their products to their customers during Porktober – a month-long celebration of locally sourced and produced pork held in October by SCB and Scottish Pig Producers.
