It's almost , the time when Scots and poetry lovers around the world celebrate the works of Robert Burns with haggis, neeps and tatties.
When it comes to hosting a dinner party to celebrate, prepping a Burns Night feast is one of the cheapest menus to put together.
That's because the whole point is to sit down and eat the humble fare enjoyed by Scottish farmers of yesteryear, while celebrating the most famous of them all, Robert Burns, the man behind the world-famous Auld Lang Syne.
What was once a Scottish-only celebration has now spread across the whole of the United Kingdom, taking place on the 25th January every year.
So to help you get started, we tracked down the cheapest deals on everything you need for your feast including haggis and vegetarian haggis (it is still Veganuary after all), potatoes, vegetables and of course the water of life - whisky.
Where to buy haggis?
You can’t have a Burns supper without the "great chieftan of the pudding race". All the major supermarkets sell it (usually situated right next to the sausages). But here's who's the cheapest:
Tesco: £2 for MacSween Traditional Haggis and MacSween Vegetable Haggis
Sainsbury's: £2 for Simon Howie Original Haggis In Bag or Simon Howie Vegetarian Haggis
Where to buy vegan and vegetarian haggis?
If you're trying to stay away from meat this month, there are a number of major supermarket chains that are also stocking vegan and vegetarian haggis options. So no one in the family has to miss out on any of the age-old tradition.
Burns night supper ideas
Your menu
- Potato wafers with smoked salmon and watercress
- Haggis, clapshot and whisky sauce
- Scotch
- Cranachan
The feast will typically include haggis, a type of sausage prepared in a sheep’s stomach that is minced with onion, oatmeal, suet (raw beef or lamb fat), spices, and salt, mixed with stock.
As is tradition, meat and veg is always better smothered in a sauce - and traditional Scots brand Macsween do an easy packet version.
We've spotted Sainsbury's are currently selling the packet sauce for £1.20.
Pick up some super cheap winter veg to serve alongside your traditional Scottish haggis, or as the Scots like to call them, "neeps and tatties".
Neeps and tatties for Burns Night recipes
If you're only cooking for two, it might be worth picking up a stew pack, which contains a good selection of root veg and will be a lot cheaper than buying packs of veg individually.
If you're catering for more people, we've tracked down the cheapest places to buy everything you need to accompany your traditional haggis.
Where to buy your ingredients:
- Tesco
- Morrisons
- Waitrose
- Ocado - the chain is doing a special £5 Burns Night bundle.
- Sainsbury's
- Asda
Cheapest places to buy whisky?
Known to be Scotland’s most famous and influential poet, Rabbie was also a big whisky fan, penning several poems about his favourite spirit.
So it would only be right to pick out the perfect bottle of Scotch to toast to old Rabbie. For, as the great poet once wrote: "Let other poets raise a fracas, Bout vines, an’ wines, an’ Drucken Bacchus… I sing the juice Scotch bear can make us, In glass or jug."
Below are some of our top picks:
Highland Black Scotch Whisky - £12.99, Aldi
The Macallan Single Malt - £53.95, Amazon
Speyburn Bradan Orach Whisky - £24.95, The Whisky Exchange
Glenmorangie 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Highlands - £19, Waitrose
Not sure what you like? Maybe opt for a whisky tasting set instead, such as this fancy little Drinks by the Dram Regions of Scotland Whisky Tasting Set selection for £26.95 from Amazon.
Letting you take a liquid journey around the regions of Scotland, it includes whiskies from some of Scotland’s most famous distilleries.
As for the entertainment, it mostly relies on speeches and poems you can find for free by searching online archives like this one , which includes our new favourite monologue, the iconic Address to a Haggis.
