38 Scots Inspired Burns Night Supper Recipe Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Burns Night menu? ›

Our traditional cullen skink recipe (a Scottish fish-based soup) is a great way to kick things off. You simply can't celebrate Burns Night without the classic haggis, 'neeps and tatties', aka mashed potatoes and swede. A rich whisky sauce is an ideal accompaniment to this flavourful dish too.

Haggis, neeps and tatties is a classic main course for a Burns Supper, sometimes people have haggis starters such as deep fried haggis bonbons!

Traditional Scottish Steak Pie With Chips and Brussels Sprouts. Steak pie is hugely popular in Scotland. It is most often associated with New Year (Hogmanay) but is widely eaten at all times of the year, making it the perfect haggis substitute for a Burns Supper.

Our modern Burns Night menu from chef Roberta Hall-McCarron is a little bit different but equally delicious. One thing's for sure, the traditional Scottish dessert cranachan is the pudding for the job, and a wee dram of whisky is non-negotiable.

Speaking of drinks, it wouldn't be a proper Scottish celebration or Burns Night without the mention of whisky.

A traditional Burns Night menu

The haggis is accompanied by champit tatties (mashed potato) and neeps (mashed turnip). Sometimes carrot is mixed with the neeps, although this is not traditional. Many suppers now include a whisky sauce to accompany the haggis.

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”.

Neeps are what Scots, Irish and a lot of Northern English people call turnips - ie the big orange veg. Others call those a swede. The wee white ones - whether you call those a turnip or not - are not part of a 'neeps and tatties' recipe.

Traditionally a Clan Chieftain or Laird may have had an animal or two killed for a particular feast, the offal being passed to the slaughterman as his payment. Haggis was always a popular dish for the poor, cheap cuts of nourishing meat that would otherwise have been thrown away.

As haggis cannot be exported to the United States, it is instead made there, sometimes by Scottish companies. In one such use, which is stated to be otherwise the same 150-year-old recipe having the same ingredients as in Scotland, sheep lung is not used and the casing is artificial rather than stomach.

Why did the US ban haggis? ›

Haggis is specifically banned for import into the United States by the USDA due to one of its ingredients: sheep lung, which is an ingredient in traditional Scottish haggis. In 1971, the USDA banned the preservation of livestock lung for human consumption, due to health concerns.

Neeps and tatties

Enjoy this regional side dish as part of a Burns Night feast. Swede is known as neeps in Scotland and are often mashed with potatoes.

Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert made of cream, raspberries, oats and whisky. Try a classic cranachan recipe, or experiment with a more modern take on the sweet treat. Great for Burns Night, great for every other night! It's super easy to whip up Mary Berry's classic Scottish cranachan.

A Distinctly Scottish Dessert

Cranachan. It's best said with a guttural growl, the consonants scraping against each other like sparks crackling in a peat fire. Cranachan, though, has far more to sell it than just its name, all of it distinctly Scottish.

Haggis has an earthy, gamey flavor due to the offal; the oats give it nutty flavor as well. The liver in the mix also lends of bit of a classic paté flavor. Haggis is scooped out of the casing when served and has a crumbly texture. Even in Scotland, haggis is an acquired taste.

Selkirk Grace is a poem commonly attributed to Robert Burns, a widely celebrated Scottish poet. It's often used on Burn's night as a giving of thanks before guests tuck into their Burn's night dinner.

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.

People tend to wear traditional Scottish dress such as kilts, a sporran, or some form of tartan. For a quiet or casual Burns supper, a hint of tartan in any form is enough, whether this is a scarf, a pair of trousers, a hat or brooch and so on. For more formal occasions, traditional Highland Dress is typically worn.

The most traditional way to serve your haggis is with mashed potatoes and mashed yellow turnips. Or as the Scots call it: "mashed tatties and bashed neeps."