A Fife butcher has fought off competition from the rest of Scotland to be crowned the winner of the Scottish Black Pudding Championships.

Robert Watson, of Watsons of Leven, was presented with the trophy after the his pudding emerged as the best of the best in Scotland.

Mystery shoppers visited the east of Scotland champions and tested Watson's black pudding against the champions purchased over the counter in the other four regions of Scotland - in Hawick, Dingwall, Largs and Wemyss Bay.

The final took place at Wendy Barrie of the Scottish Food Guide's test kitchen in Aberdour and the presentation of the championship trophy was awarded by George Stuart from sponsors, Dalziel Ltd.

Head judge Ms Barrie said of the Leven Black Pudding: "Five black puddings, they were delicious puddings and it wasn't easy to decide.

"We revisited some of them, we cooked some more samples and we take it very, very seriously. We did get a clear winner in the end."

Ms Barrie said the winner has to have the right mix.

She said: "It had to have a balance with a little bit of texture, a lovely balance of taste with no one thing overwhelming it. It is a culmination of factors and it has to look good so that it appeals to the consumer.

"The five were very different; right through a range of colours, textures, size, thickness of slices - they didn't even cook in the same time.

"A real big range but I think every one of them had something that was rather appealing, they all had their good points. It was fascinating.

"The Watsons black pudding was a delicious exemplar of its kind and I think will sit very well on a British and world plate. Congratulations to Watsons of Leven."