First venison
black
pudding is
stag-geringly
good
University research has shown that Scotland’s first ever venison black
pudding has the potential to be a serious hit with foodies.
F
OOD SCIENTISTS FROM QMU
have been running trials of the
new food product which will be
the first commercially produced black
pudding made with venison blood in
the UK.
Specialists from the University’s Scottish
Centre for Food Development and
Innovation were tasked with identifying
if consumers were keen to deviate from
the traditional black pudding recipe which
is usually made from onions, pork fat,
oatmeal, flavourings and pigs’ blood. The
scientists ran consumer taste panels and
focus groups for the Perth based company
Seriously Good Venison to gauge consumer
reaction to the new product concept and to
investigate consumer taste preferences for
different flavoured venison black puddings.
The food scientists identified that the
venison black pudding was a rich source
of iron and vitamin B12. The results of
taste panels, which focused on flavour and
texture, confirmed that new venison black
pudding was a bit hit with the consumer
tasters.
Vikki Banks, Director of Seriously Good
Venison, has been running her venison
business since 2009. She explained: “We
had identified a gap in the market for the
UK’s first black pudding made from deer.
We developed several recipes – one original
recipe and another which would be suitable
for the gluten-free market. However, we
needed specialist support to establish the
facts about customer taste preferences and
perceptions of the product concept.”
Dr Laura Wyness, Senior Research Fellow
with Scottish Centre for Food Development
and Innovation at QMU, said: “There
is currently no venison black pudding
available in the UK, so this new food offers
the consumer a new and distinctive product
from the traditional Scottish recipe.
“Not only did our research indicate that the
new venison black pudding was high in iron
and vitamin B12 and a source of protein,
it also confirmed that consumers were
happy to purchase and eat black pudding
developed from deer.”
Consumer sensory panellists were asked
to rank the new food product based on
aroma, taste, texture, aftertaste and overall
liking.
Dr Wyness continued: “We were pleased
to report that there was a consumer
acceptance of the new product and that
panellists reported very favourably about
the taste and texture of Seriously Good
Venison’s black pudding. As the only
producer of this venison black pudding, we
feel that Seriously Good Venison now has a
distinctive commercial advantage. We hope
our research work will support the company
in bringing this tasty new product to the
market place.”
Lucky guests at ‘Dining on the Wild
Side’, a unique food event developed
by The Edinburgh International Science
Festival, were amongst the first to taste
the new venison black pudding which was
incorporated into a unique dish containing
the Scottish superfood sea buckthorn. Held
in April, the gastronomic event saw food
enthusiasts tuck into a three course meal
containing wild meat, fish and foraged fruits
and vegetables, and offered guests the
opportunity to hear from chef Ben Reade
and TV presenter and author Alys Fowler. ❒
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