Celebrating Burns

We’ve justreceived this lovely blog about our Burns supper. Thank you much Tuggy Tucks.

For the last 6 years we’ve been hosting our burns ceilidh at The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant. I love events at this time of year. It’s so dark outside that Edinburgh just spar from our huge Windows that overlook Princes Street Gardens. I always think that the Balmoral Hotel looks like a Disney palace twinkling beautifully…

But, back to Burns! My grandparents and parents always hosted Burns suppers for the locals in East Lothian. The same menu as we have now all the way from the Cock-a-Leekie to the shortbread.It wouldn’t be a burns supper without a piper and our lovely piper Barnett always does us proud. A wee chieftain haggis (that’s the 4lb ceremonial haggis in the sheep’s bladder for the address).

Once when my parents were hosting an outside catering at the Wallyford Miners Club somebody stole the haggis! 1977 if you remember it was tough times and these events were a huge treat and a huge event for my parents. Usually they were for anything up to 400 people. Massive organisation. My dad in his Volkswagen van transporting 20 gallon pots of soup from Cockenzie to Wallyford to be reheated on the bunsen burners at the ready. Very different days. Pre health and safety and risk assessments but my parents always delivered and my dad never split a drop! Turns out the haggis had been stolen by a wee boy having a laugh. My father was having anything but a laugh and that day only was the first and last time he ever carried in a 1 lb baby haggis on an achette that large enough to hold a pig!

Thanks also to Jim who is the best in the world at addressing the haggis! Sláinte!

Over to Tuggy Tucks….