IT must be all those wee drams on offer – Burns Night is usually a sell-out way in advance. At ToM, sticking to Dry January, we’ll still be honouring the traditional haggis big time. Here are a few places offering whisky plus Caledonian culinary treats. Check websites and good luck with getting in. Or as the Scots say: “Lang may yer lum reek”.
With its Scottish roots, Alston Bar & Beef in the Corn Exchange is offering a more contemporary menu in honour of Scotland’s national poet. It features seasonal favourites such as heart-warming soup cock-a-leekie, followed by braised beef and haggis olive with a baked potato skin, whipped potato, bone-marrow butter and whisky sauce.
Guests who are looking for more of a Scottish theatrical dining experience can address the haggis with Burns' famous poem, while tucking into haggis, neeps ‘n’ tatties.
For dessert there's a cranachan pana cotta, a culinary twist on the sweet Scottish dessert, made with set coconut, oat and vanilla milk, oat granola, raspberry gel, whisky syrup and honeycomb.
The Manchester restaurant will be celebrating alongside its sister venue in Glasgow and is encouraging guests to wear a kilt, to receive a complimentary dram of Scotch.
The Burns inspired feast is available from Friday January 24-Sunday 26 and costs £25 a head. Booking recommended – online here.
Euan Watkins, co-owner of Ramsbottom’s Hearth of the Ram, is a proud Scot. We remember him at the MFDF Gala Dinner sporting a ‘badger head’ sporran with his kilt. So no surprise that this fine dining pub at 13 Peel Brow, BL0 0AA, is holding a Burns Supper on the birth date itself, Thursday, January 23. It really is old school. The Reverend Hugh Bearn will host and there’ll be music from resident piper Freddie and Celtic Brew.
The menu includes cullen skink cheese scone, the acclaimed Macween haggis with Glenlivet sauce and all manner of Scottish delicacies. The six course menu cost £40 a head and starts at 7pm. Email [email protected] or ring 01706 828681.
It’s easy to forget that global beer conquerors Brewdog originate from Scotland. On Saturday, January 25 at their Peter Street they are are toasting the immortal Rabbie (partial to a pint or two) by running a range of Scottish beer on tap, reprising their haggis burger, boiler maker mini flights and their 'Address to Punks’. Attend wearing your kilt and a free pint of Punk IPA is yours. The plan was to serve haggis, neeps and tatties but there has apparently been a kitchen glitch.
We’re not sure if chef/patron James Taylor at ToM fave, the Bull’s Head Heyside, near Royton, has Scottish blood but he sure serves up a mean haggis. On Saturday, January 25, he’s cooking up a Burns Night supper, seven courses and a wee dram for £30 a head. The menu features Scotch broth, mussels, haggis, neeps and tatties, venison suet pudding, Irn Brew sorbet, deep-fried Mars Bar and cranachan. There’s a vegetarian menu available, but it seems oddly out of kilter (sic). Book via the website.