Burns Night... A poetic solution to beat the winter blues
Burns Night is without doubt one of the fastest growing calendar events in the foodservice industry and with good reason.
Consumers love traditional celebrations and whilst Burns Night is traditionally celebrated in Scotland in honour of their national poet Robert Burns, more and more eateries across the UK are seizing the opportunity of the celebrating Burns Night to extend sales after a busy festive period and help customers beat the winter blues.
If you’d like ideas, recipes or product inspiration to host your own Scottish Theme Night then simply speak with your rep or take a look around our Google+ page (http://bit.ly/1AEITqx) where we’ve got lots of recipes & ideas.
Burns Night is celebrated in various ways but traditionally the evening takes the following format:
Guests are welcomed to the Burns supper with traditional bag pipes.
When the guests have all arrived they are welcomed by the host, who gives a brief overview of what Burns Night is about and declares the event open.
All the guest are seated and all join in the Selkirk Grace:
“Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae let the Lord be thankit.”
The first course is served, usually a Scottish broth or Cock-a-Leekie Soup.
Piping of the Haggis… everyone stands as the main course is brought in. This is always a haggis on a large dish. It is usually brought in by the cook, generally while a piper plays.
The host then addresses the haggis with the following:
“Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
_
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
_
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
_
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
_
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
_
As lang's my arm.
_The groaning trencher there ye fill,
_
_Your hurdies like a distant hill,
_
_Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
_
While thro your pores the dews distil
_
Like amber bead._
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
_
An cut you up wi ready slight,_
_
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
_
_Like onie ditch;
_
_And then, O what a glorious sight,
_
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,_
_
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve_
_
Are bent like drums;
_
_The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
_
'Bethankit' hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout,
_
Or olio that wad staw a sow,_
_
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
_
Wi perfect scunner,
_
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
_
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
_
_His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
_
His nieve a nit;_
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
_
O how unfit!
_But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
_
_The trembling earth resounds his tread,
_
_Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
_
He'll make it whissle;
_
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
_
Like taps o thrissle.
_Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
_
And dish them out their bill o fare,
_
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
_
That jaups in luggies:
_
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
_
Gie her a Haggis
The haggis is then served with mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed neeps (A Scottish 'neep' is an English 'swede').
A dessert course, cheese courses and coffee may also be part of the meal. The courses normally use traditional Scottish recipes. For instance, dessert may be cranachan or Tipsy Laird (whisky trifle) followed by oatcakes and cheese, all washed down with the "water of life" (uisge beatha) – Scotch whisky. When the meal reaches the coffee stage various speeches and toasts are given. In order, the core speeches and toasts are as follows.
Immortal memory
One of the guests gives a short speech, remembering some aspect of Burns' life or poetry. This may be light-hearted or intensely serious. A good speaker always prepares a speech with his audience in mind, since above all the Burns' supper should be entertaining.
Everyone drinks a toast to Robert Burns.
Appreciation
The host will normally say a few words thanking the previous speaker for his speech and may comment on some of the points raised.
Toast to the Lassies
This was originally a short speech given by a male guest in thanks to the women who had prepared the meal. However, nowadays it is much more wide-ranging and generally covers the male speaker's view on women. It is normally amusing but not offensive, particularly bearing in mind that it will be followed by a reply from the "lassies" concerned.
The men drink a toast to the women's health.
Reply to the Laddies
This is occasionally (and humorously) called the "Toast to the Laddies" and, like the previous toast, it is generally quite wide-ranging nowadays. A female guest will give her views on men and reply to any specific points raised by the previous speaker. Like the previous speech, this should be amusing, but not offensive. Quite often the speakers giving this toast and the previous one will collaborate so that the two toasts complement each other.
Works by Burns
After the speeches there may be singing of songs by Burns – Ae Fond Kiss, Parcel o' Rogues, A Man's a Man, etc. – and more poetry – The Twa Dugs, Holy Willie's Prayer, etc. This may be done by the individual guests or by invited experts, and it goes on for as long as the guests wish and may include other works by poets influenced by Burns, particularly poets writing in Scots.
Closing
Finally the host will call on one of the guests to give the vote of thanks, after which everyone is asked to stand, join hands, and sing Auld Lang Syne bringing the evening to an end.
——
Whether you decide to take the formal format or just simply offer a Scottish themed menu for the evening, the emphasis should be on the quality of the food and the drink.
A menu of traditional Scottish food is paramount and as well as those listed above could include bacon broths, gammon tartlets and pork and cider pie; making the food offer as varied as possible will attract those who don’t like haggis.
If you don’t have a wide selection of Scottish whisky then it may be worth looking at investing in some and making them a key element of the evening.
It’s essential that all staff know who Robert Burns is and why you’re celebrating it… and dressing everyone in kilts on the night can only add to the success of the evening. Hiring a bag pipe player and a local theatrical performer to act as the host are expensive options, but could make your Burns night event one that customers will remember for a long time to come.
#tfsMenuInspiration #MenuInspiration #tfsBusinessTips #January #BurnsNight #Scottish #Haggis
https://plus.google.com/107243509942555646923/posts/gGdZcBMq9RU
