The perfect Burns Night menu (2024)

FAQs

The perfect Burns Night menu? ›

Main course: Haggis, neeps and tatties

Love it or loathe it, haggis is the dish at the heart of Burns Night. Try this simple recipe for haggis, neeps and tatties and follow our guide to buying and cooking the perfect haggis.

Main course: Haggis, neeps and tatties

Love it or loathe it, haggis is the dish at the heart of Burns Night. Try this simple recipe for haggis, neeps and tatties and follow our guide to buying and cooking the perfect haggis.

Haggis, Neeps And Tatties

If following the standard running order of Burns Night, a haggis will be ceremoniously brought to the dining table before being addressed in a poem and cut open with a knife. Haggis is a savoury pudding consisting of sheep's pluck, minced onion, oats, spices, and stock.

Speaking of drinks, it wouldn't be a proper Scottish celebration or Burns Night without the mention of whisky. A staple part of Scottish culture, having a glass or two of whisky to celebrate is a must.

To start – everyone gathers, the host says a few words, everyone sits and the Selkirk Grace is said. The meal – the starter is served, the haggis is piped in, the host performs the famous Burns Night haggis poem Address to a Haggis, everyone toasts the haggis and the main meal is served, followed by dessert.

When attending a Burns supper, the most traditional option for ladies is a kilted skirt. Our kilted skirts look lovely paired with a blouse and accessorised with a tartan sash or brooch for a more traditional style. Tartan dresses can also be worn for a formal Burns Supper and look great with plain or tartan heels.

Variations do exist: beef lovers can serve the haggis, neeps & tatties as a starter with roast beef or steak pie as the main dish. Vegetarians can of course choose vegetarian haggis, while pescatarians could opt for a seafood main course such as Cullen Skink.

Well, “neeps” is just the Scots word for swede – that hard winter vegetable that people also use in soups and stews. You might also hear Scottish people saying “nips”, which is much more obviously short for “turnips”. It's a hard job to peel and chop the neeps, and then we boil and mash, then add a bit of seasoning.

How do you greet someone on Burns Night? ›

While there is no formal greeting for Burns Night, people generally say “Sláinte Mhath” to one another. This is pronounced “slanj'-uh va” and translates as “Good Health!”. You can also say “Oidhche Bhlas Burns”, which means “Happy Burns Night”. These could be fun messages to include in your designs.

After the meal, the speeches and entertainment begin in earnest, starting with a toast to the monarch, known as the Loyal Toast. This is followed by the main toast of the night, to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns. The Immortal Memory should be a heartfelt toast to his life and works.

Burns Night is a time to enjoy Scottish traditions and celebrate the renowned poet Robert Burns with a classic combination of haggis, neeps, tatties, some reciting of poetry, and maybe even a warming dram. It's also an opportunity to celebrate Scotland's enduring legacy of creativity.

Serve up a Scottish supper to remember with a classic smoked fish soup and the essential haggis, neeps and tatties - all rounded off with a traditional clootie dumpling. Delicious!

For a delicious way to start any Burns Night feast ,rustle up a batch of Jamie's oat blinis (a super simple batter) and serve with an earthy beetroot and celeriac slaw and some silky smoked salmon. A simple yet sophisticated starter!

Serve up a Scottish supper to remember with a classic smoked fish soup and the essential haggis, neeps and tatties - all rounded off with a traditional clootie dumpling.

Scotland's national dish is haggis, a savoury meat pudding, and it's traditionally accompanied by mashed potatoes, turnips (known as 'neeps') and a whisky sauce. Which brings us to the national drink – whisky. Over 100 distilleries in Scotland produce this amber-hued liquid, many of which can be explored on a tour.