The Mayo-based butcher who developed the highly profiled vegetarian pudding is to speak at the Agri Careers Expo.

Sean Kelly of Kelly’s Butchers in Newport strayed off the beaten path in recent months after successfully trialing and launching the alternative pudding on to supermarket shelves.

Speaking with Irish Country Living, Kelly explained that the genesis of the idea came from a growth in enquiries for such a product.

“We do a lot of supermarket tastings and events, such as the Taste of Donegal.

"One question that came up quite a bit was do we have a vegetarian option? It got me thinking about it. Can I develop this product and sell it?

“It took us two months during 2018 to test the product. We tried about 20 different concepts, but we wanted to make sure it was no different to the traditional white pudding we sell.

“It is all about trial and error. When you dump enough stuff, you will soon learn how to do things right”, Kelly remarked.

The product was introduced into Dunnes Stores last year where it still continues to sell well.

The pudding hit the headlines in the last week when Aldi began to sell the pudding and generated a successful marketing push around it.

Aldi placed the pudding on its shelves for a two-week burst after the new year, where its sales have been impressive.

The pudding

The product that Kelly produced is low in fat and high in protein. However, its use of egg ensures it is not a vegan product.

Agri Careers Expo

Sean Kelly will speak on 14 February on the converting food into jobs panel on the main stage at the event. He will discuss the importance of the Wild Atlantic Way to the economy and how he has used his location to exploit the business opportunities, through producing and presenting high-quality food products.