Macsween of Edinburgh has agreed its first export deal with the US for nearly 50 years in time for Burns Night.
The company's vegetarian haggis will be available this year in 14 Fairway Market stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, branded as "Scottish veggie crumble".
Haggis was banned in the US in 1971 after rules were introduced forbidding foods containing sheep lung, an integral ingredient of the traditional dish.
James Macsween, managing director of Macsween of Edinburgh, said: “We at Macsween are delighted to be exporting again to the USA after 49 years. Finally, Americans and the expat community can enjoy the UK's most loved haggis brand known for its award-winning taste and texture. This is a huge milestone for Macsween to be expanding internationally and leading the way in plant-based food exports.
"My grandfather, Charlie, would be very proud to see how far we've come from his original butcher's shop in Bruntsfield which he opened back in 1953. My father John Macsween would also be proud as he invented the world's first vegetarian haggis in 1984.”
Macsween has sent 360 cases of the product to the US this month and is appointing a sales agent in the US to support its international expansion.
In the year to September 2019, Scottish goods exports to the US were worth £4.3 billion, according to the UK Department for International Trade. This was an increase of 8% on the previous year, with food and drink accounting for 30% of exports.
Imagining a trade deal with the US which may or may not come into existence, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: “It’s great to see Macsween enter the US market for the first time, giving Scots in America a taste of home this Burns Night. The US is the second biggest export market for Scotland, and a new free trade agreement will make it easier for businesses to sell their goods in the US, which will encourage growth and create jobs for people in Scotland."
