Every March, Mortagne-au-Perche becomes the boudin noir capital of France. Which, to be fair, it already is for the other eleven months. But during the Foire au Boudin, the town makes it official.
The festival draws around 27,000 visitors over three days. There is an international competition where charcutiers from across France, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Caribbean and Quebec submit their boudin to be judged cold and ungrilled by a jury that takes this very seriously. There is a brotherhood of knights in red velvet robes. And there are 4.5 tonnes of boudin sold from grill stations across the fairgrounds, eaten with frites and cider by people who drove a long way for exactly this.
It has been running since 1963. The 59th edition took place this March. If you have never been, here is what you need to know.
What boudin noir is
Boudin noir is blood sausage. Pork blood, pork fat, slow-cooked onions, stuffed into natural casing. In Le Perche the tradition goes back to Roman times, when the forests were full of wild boar and the locals became specialists in preparing cooked blood. The Normandy version often includes apple. A good boudin is smooth, rich, and nothing like the grey hockey pucks the word "blood sausage" might conjure up.
Mortagne's reputation was built in the 19th century and cemented at the 1931 Paris Colonial Exposition. What makes Mortagne boudin distinctive is not a secret recipe but artisanal precision: the balance of blood to fat to onion, the slow cooking, the seasoning. It is a craft passed through generations of charcutiers in this town.
The competition
The Concours International du Meilleur Boudin is the heart of the festival. Around 400 charcutiers enter, submitting 800g samples in natural casing. Everything is tasted cold, which is the honest way to judge boudin because heat and a grill can mask a lot.
There are five categories:
- Traditionnel - classic boudin, judged by geographic zone (seven zones across France)
- Bio - organic, within the traditional category
- Creatif sucre - creative sweet boudin
- Creatif sale - creative savoury boudin
- Antillais - Caribbean-style boudin (minimum 30% blood)
The eliminations happen on Thursday. Finals on Friday, judged by a Grand Jury of eminent charcuterie figures and members of the Academie Normande des Confreries Gastronomiques. Top prizes are the Grill d'Or National and Grill d'Or Regional, followed by Grand Prix d'Honneur medals in gold, silver and bronze.
Awards last one year. You have to come back and prove it again next March.
The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte-Boudin
The brotherhood that organises the competition was founded the same year as the festival, in 1963. Twenty-seven members in red velvet robes who parade through Mortagne during the annual chapter ceremony, inducting new Chevaliers and hosting delegations from around 30 gastronomic confreries across France.
Their mission statement talks about cataloguing the great variety of French boudins, preserving regional manufacturing processes, and fostering "frank gaiety and friendship." They have an affiliated chapter in Quebec. They are pursuing UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition. None of this is ironic. Le Perche takes its boudin seriously.
What else happens
The competition is the anchor, but the three days are full:
- 170 exhibitors at the terroir salon and artisan salon
- Boudin-making demonstrations by local chefs and the Disciples d'Escoffier
- Grill stations throughout the grounds, selling hot boudin with frites
- A cycling race through the historic town (the Grand Prix cycliste)
- Hot air balloon rides at the hippodrome, weather permitting
- Live music on Saturday and Sunday
- A dinner-show on Friday evening that sells out every year
And somewhere in the middle of it all, a competitive eating contest. The record is not something we need to dwell on.
Practical details
When: Mid-March, Friday to Sunday. The 2026 edition ran March 13-15. Check foire-au-boudin.fr for next year's dates.
Hours: Friday from 14h, Saturday and Sunday from 10h. Closes at 19h.
Admission: Free.
Where: Le Carre du Perche, Mortagne-au-Perche.
Parking: Aire de services, Chemin des Carrieres.
How much boudin to buy: More than you think. It freezes well. Get some for the drive home and some for the freezer.
Why go
There are food festivals everywhere in France, and most of them are pleasant enough but ultimately forgettable. The Foire au Boudin is not one of those. The competition is real, the charcutiers care, the product is genuinely exceptional, and the whole town is in on it.
If you live in Le Perche and have never been, go once. If you went once, you already know you are going back.