WHETHER it’s a softy or well-fired, we Scots are fiercely loyal to our morning roll orders – and now the humble breakfast staple could be on its way to global recognition, with the Scottish Greens backing a campaign to secure Unesco status for the beloved bap.
Holly Bruce, MSP for Glasgow Southside, has lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament celebrating the history of the morning roll, its cultural significance and working-class heritage, while backing food historian Peter Gilchrist’s campaign to have it recognised internationally.
The motion has been backed by MSPs from various political parties including Scottish Labour MSPs Paul Sweeney and Joe Fagan, and the SNP's Colin Beattie.
The National previously broke the story that Gilchrist had launched a campaign to have “the act of ordering a morning roll” recognised by Unesco as part of its Living Heritage project.
The Unesco project allows anyone to nominate cultural traditions they believe should be protected, and Gilchrist previously confirmed to The National that he will be submitting “the act of ordering a morning roll” for the 2027 intake.
Backing the campaign, Bruce said: “Many of the best days begin with a morning roll, just as the best nights out end with one.
“It is an iconic Scottish product that has been treasured for generations and woven into the fabric of everyday life across the country,”
“The morning roll is part of Scotland’s story. It has been part of our breakfasts, our bakeries, our communities and our traditions for hundreds of years – and it has been around longer than France has had the baguette.
She added: “Scotland has given the world many great things, and the morning roll deserves its moment in the spotlight. It is time we celebrated this great Scottish institution properly and gave it the recognition it deserves.”
Speaking to The National after launching the campaign, Gilchrist said he hoped it could provide a way for Scots to celebrate their national identity in everyday life.
“It can be difficult to feel Scottish in ordinary life,” he told The National. “Unless you’re waving a flag at a football match or dancing a dashing white sergeant, what can you actually do to feel Scottish?
“But if you can order a morning roll, and realise in that moment that you’re part of a chain of 500 years of Scots doing exactly the same thing, that’s powerful.”
He added that he hoped recognition from Unesco could help Scotland celebrate the food people actually eat, rather than relying on a narrower, often mythologised version of national cuisine.
“When you ask people what Scottish food is, they’ll often say Aberdeen Angus beef, haggis, whisky, or even a deep-fried Mars bar,” he said. “But those things aren’t on my plate every day. They’re not on most people’s plates every day.”
“If you ask someone in Italy what their food is, they’ll tell you what they actually eat. They’re connected to their food culture in a way that we aren’t. We’ve been removed from ours.”
Gilchrist is currently building support for the movement. At recent talks he has invited attendees to speak into a recorder, giving their name, where they’re from, and their go-to morning roll order.
These testimonies, as well as others he plans to collect throughout the year, will form the basis for the “community consent” required to achieve Unesco status.
Bruce’s motion, lodged in the Scottish Parliament, reads: “That the Parliament understands that a campaign has launched to afford the Scottish morning roll protection and recognition as a UNESCO cultural status food; believes the status is well-deserved for a unique food group that is treasured across the country and enjoyed by many each day; understands the morning roll has been around for over 300 years, longer than Paris has had the baguette; believes that Glasgow Southside, often referred to as the ‘brunch capital of Scotland’, has numerous institutions that offer this delicacy, such as Cafe Strange Brew, the Green Goose, Cafe Salmagundi and Fulton’s Cafe, and commends the work of the Scottish food historian, Peter Gilchrist, who is embarking on this cause.”
