Golden Haggis at the double for Dales

Dales Traditional Butchers, based on Market Street, took the “Golden Haggis” accolade yesterday (Sunday 24th November) at the prestigious annual Oban Winter Festival, held at the Oban Distillery (Argyll and Bute, Scotland).

Winning the title as a non-Scottish entry was impressive enough but it’s not for the first time, as the team also took the accolade in 2023 - the first time it had ever been won by someone outside of Scotland.

Dales has been supplying the finest quality, locally farmed produce for over 100 years and works with heritage at their heart as part of the local community. However, this year has seen them expand their range and their reach, with their new loyalty scheme already boasting over 1,000 members across the UK.

Mark Duckworth comments;

“This is pretty epic news to be honest and we’re all chuffed to bits. It is a blind taste test which is judged by a former butcher and a top chef, so we are really proud to have won again and it just goes to show it wasn’t a fluke when us folk came north of the border last year and won!

“Hats off to our specialist butcher Sean Gibson, who braved the 5 hour round trip and of course the weather, to head up there with our haggis and back with the trophy once again!”

The latest accolade for Dales comes hot on the heels of their television debut, with TV chef Simon Rimmer singling out their sausages for praise on “Sunday Brunch” back in October.

Like all of Dales’ pork sausages, it is made with locally reared, high-quality pork, then flavoured with sage and pepper - the perfect companion to creamy mash and gravy, according to Mark.

With demand soaring, Mark and the team have even renamed the traditional Cumberland sausage, as the “Sunday Brunch”.

Meanwhile, Dales’ haggis specialist, Sean Gibson, is back in Kirby Lonsdale after his award-winning trip. He adds:

“To compete in today’s market you have to be able to combine the traditional values with a more modern approach and sometimes be a little brave. It’s like the perfect haggis, it’s all about the technique, the highest quality ingredients and the secret recipe…which will remain so!”