The brotherhood of the knights of the Black Pudding is one of the worlds greatest authorities on Black pudding. At the annual international awards three Irish Butchers were awarded medals. So impressed were the French by the quality of the puddings presented by the Irish that they decided to make Ireland the location of their annual pudding pilgrimage.
The Black Pudding Fraternity was established in 1963 at Mortagne-au-Perche in the heart of the Perche region of France by a group of foodies to promote traditional black pudding. Black pudding has a history dating back over 2000 years and there are variations in many countries, so that the annual pudding festival hosted by the fraternity has become a major international event with over 600 entries in 2010.
The Fraternity has welcomed some 2,250 people into membership since 1963. These are food connoisseurs from all walks of life; included are personalities from the worlds of politics and the arts both French and from abroad. Thus thousands of members worldwide support the efforts of the Fraternity with its core leadership of about thirty dignitaries entitled to wear its regalia, which is a tradition amongst French gastronomic societies. Dignitaries of the Fraternity are ambassadors for the Perche’s most noble product, its black gold!