Furness Vale firm's DIY black pudding kit shortlisted for Great British Food Awards

Spicely Does It, which is based on Calico Lane, has been selected as a finalist in the Great British Food Awards 2021, celebrating the very best of the nation’s artisan producers.

Owner Gaynor Preece said: “We have submitted other kits for the awards previously with no success. It’s a very competitive award, so receiving the email on a Monday morning, had us jumping up and down with joy.”

Established in 1998 by Gaynor and her late mum Janet, over the years the business has developed a hugely popular range of charcuterie kits, all-in-one seasonings and marinades direct to customers and via high street outlets such as Lakeland.

From chorizo to pastrami and tandoori to Thai green curry, its products are designed to foster an appreciation for quality meat and environmentally sustainable farming.

The black pudding kit, costing £13.50, contains oat flakes, pork protein and spices together with a printed pudding casing, a piping bag and butcher’s twine.

Gaynor said: “My background is in the ingredients industry so I’m very familiar with the field to fork process. There are many things I would like to change, so I decided to start small, creating kits to make deli delights with simplicity in mind.

“The black pudding kit took us three years to perfect, with many friends and family having to eat homemade black pudding – not a bad job if you can get it.”

She added: “Our mission is making artisan food accessible to everyone. Our kits are very popular gifts.

“They make fun kitchen activities, bringing families together; where they can take pride in the knowledge they know what’s inside their food and that they have made it. There’s nothing that makes me happier than happy bellies – full of the good stuff.”

The award winners will be announced on Thursday, October 28, following a judging process led by celebrity chef, author and restaurateur Vivek Singh.

For more information on Spicely Does It products, go to spicelydoesit.com.

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