Ardfern Black Pudding
Made in the village of Ardfern in Argyll and Bute, Ardfern Black Pudding came about after the spark of an idea in the middle of Loch Craignish, while founders Derek and Rob were out fishing. Recognising a desire for local produce, Derek and Rob set out on their journey to create just that, starting by going way back to uncover the history of black pudding.
This year’s Scottish Food & Drink September campaign centres around the idea that Every Bite Tells a Story so, we caught up with Derek to find out more about Ardfern’s story, its beginnings, and the importance of supporting Scottish produce.
Scottish Food & Drink September 2026
What's the story behind your very first product – do you remember the moment it went from the initial spark of an idea to reality?
Rob and I had the idea when out fishing on Loch Craignish. We were discussing the lack of truly authentic local food products, at the same time recognising a desire locally for such products to exist. We went through several ideas before settling on black pudding due to its strong cultural history in this area. Yet there seemed to be none being made in the traditional west coast style locally. Once the idea had been spoken into existence, we both became obsessed!
Is there a technique, recipe, or process you've kept true to since the start, and why does it matter to you?
We did a lot of research and development of the recipe in the beginning. Starting by basically becoming black pudding historians! We tried a few traditional recipes, rejected some for their weird and polarising flavour profiles before finding one we could work with. We then tweaked the flavours until we got it just right.
This is the recipe we now use, and we are very fussy on the accuracy. We measure it with precision every time ourselves. Our spice blend is a closely guarded secret, but what I can tell you is we use a very specific black pepper which we grind ourselves for every batch. The quality and freshness of the pepper is really what makes us stand out from the rest.
What makes Scottish produce so special, and why is it important for shoppers to support local producers?
I think some Scottish produce is special due to the environment it's produced in. I could point to our fish and shellfish or our meat for example. But I think also the passion of the producers themselves plays a massive part, especially with a product like ours. With supermarkets having the monopoly on so much, driving prices down to such a degree that small producers just can't compete on price, if you want your wee product to fly, you have to make sure it's excellent and people can see the value in spending their hard earned cash on it.
I think it's important shoppers support local because it would be all too easy for small producers with a high level of integrity trying to make the best product they can, to disappear and then we simply won't have the option to buy artisanal products with a story behind them, directly from the person who made it. I think if we lose that connection entirely to the big supermarket chains, it would be a very sad day indeed.
How has the wider Scottish food and drink industry – community support, funding, fellow producers – shaped your business journey?
If we hadn't had the support of the community in Ardfern, we simply wouldn't have a business! We needed somewhere to produce, and the village provided not just once, but twice! We started off in the village hall but that could only ever have been a temporary arrangement for many reasons, but it got us started before local legend Simon Bevan stepped in and gave us our forever home at Barrfada farm where we now have a dedicated black pudding production facility. Marag Dhubh HQ!
We haven't actually received any external funding and started things off with a very modest personal investment. It meant we had to get making money quite quickly so we could afford the fit out of HQ. It meant a bit of making do at first but we're both pretty frugal and we definitely live within our means!
We are part of Food From Argyll which has allowed us to meet a whole bunch of small producers in the same boat and that's been very useful in terms of moral support, routes to market and just knowing you're not the only crazy ones!
