Top chef Simon Gault finds best black pudding in Hastings

Salami and sausages in the smoker at Wild Game Salami in Hastings. Photo/Paul Taylor

A hot item on the menu of Simon Gault's new Auckland restaurant will be the Boudin Noir French black pudding produced by Hastings-based Wild Game Salamis.

The Kiwi restaurateur and former MasterChef New Zealand judge announced the name of his new Viaduct restaurant yesterday. The new venture, Giraffe, will open on June 15, its menu comprising dishes prepared with premium ingredients sourced from producers and growers around the country.

Earlier this year, Gault went on a mission to find the best produce in the country. Among his desired items was a top-notch black pudding.

"We got a whole lot of them and there were some good ones, and then there was one really good one," he said.

That was Wild Game Salamis owner Rob Beard's venison black pudding that Mr Gault said ticked all the boxes for authenticity, flavour and texture.

"It's not mass produced - the love is there, which you can taste it when you eat it. It's pretty yummy."

Beard said the black pudding was just one of a range of smallgoods produced under the label Wild Game Salamis and the Beard Brothers brand.

He revealed that he stumbled on the basis of his black pudding recipe by accident when he helped out a man who had had a stroke, giving him a lift home from hospital.

"We were chatting and I talked about my butchery. A few weeks later an envelope arrived in the mail with some recipes, including the black pudding one, which is a 100-year-old French recipe that was passed on to this man."

The benefactor had since died, but Beard said receiving that recipe gave him the confidence and push he needed to create his traditional black pudding.

Flavoursome, with a soft, crumbly texture, the product would feature on the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus at Giraffe, Gault said.

"I still think a lot of people don't like the thought of black pudding and don't try it, but they are missing out. It doesn't just have to be for breakfast - it can be cooked and crumbled over roast or mashed potatoes or steak."

Beard agreed, although his favourite was the simple slice and fry in butter, olive oil and salt.

Local restaurateur David Griffiths from Mister D was also a fan, and said he had supported Beard right from the start, currently featuring the black pudding and breakfast sausages on the menu.

The accolade follows another exciting step for Wild Game Salamis, which at the beginning of this year moved from being a home-based, home-kill processing business to having a retail outlet and butchery on Orchard Road, Hastings.

Here, the team produces not only the black pudding but also an extensive range of salamis, chorizo and Beard Brothers beef, lamb and venison patties, all minimally processed using high-quality meat.

"Our aim is to make our products as close to home made as you can - there's minimal processing," Beard said.

One of the worries when moving to the new premises was replicating the smokehouse that he had used when working from home.

"We had a great smokehouse and our fear was that we wouldn't get the same quality out of a commercial smokehouse. But with a bit of titivation, practising with different woodchips and humidity, we have nailed it."

It's a family affair at Wild Game Salamis, where Beard, his wife, Lara and three sons are all involved in the business, along with four other staff who fit in with the family vibe.

The shop is open on Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, and offers weekly delivery services to Hastings and Havelock North businesses.

Find out more at the Wild Game Salamis Facebook page.