Caithness butchers hail great chieftain o' the puddin' race
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
BUTCHERS in the far north will sell more haggis this week than they normally do in months of trading as the country today celebrates the life and works of Rabbie Burns.
This evening, families in Caithness and across Scotland will tuck in to a traditional meal of haggis, neeps and tatties in tribute to the bard.
But as well as remembering one of the country’s best loved poets, it is also proving a boost to sales for butchers on the high street as they experience high demand for the spicy pudding.
Harrold Brothers in Wick is one of the shops to benefit.
Manager Neil Harrold said Rabbie Burns is the biggest advertisement tool for butchers to help sell haggis.
“We’ve probably had more orders for haggis this week than we will have over the course of an entire year,” he said.
“This week, the shop has sold around 600 haggis puddings, which is a far bigger demand than we’re used to as on average we sell 20 a week.
“This usually happens at this time of the year and we have no problem trying to sell it to our customers.
“Burns Night is probably the biggest advertisement for haggis which is why it sells so well this month compared to the rest of the year.”
Sinclair Butchers on Macarthur Street in Pulteneytown also report a big increase in demand for haggis, with manager George Harper saying they have taken 300 orders this week alone, which makes up almost half what they sell in an entire year.
Bews the Butchers in Princes Street, Thurso, has ordered over 750kg of haggis this week to meet demand.
Manager Hugh Mackay admitted the week of Burns Night is when its popularity hits its peak.
“We sell a lot of haggis all year, but this month we will be selling between 750kg to a tonne’s worth of it,” he said.
“This week alone, we will sell between 600 to 800 puddings, whereas on a regular week we sell around 50.
“Our haggis is ordered from customers across the UK, not just during Burns Night but also through out the year and we also use it in our products which prove popular with locals.”
Derek Mackay, manager of Castletown Butchers in Traill Street, said as well as the rise in sales in haggis, they also receive a boost in the traditional vegetables that accompany the dish.
“Neeps and tatties always sell very well when customers come in to purchase their haggis,” he said.
“Every three weeks we usually only prepare a couple of batches of haggis, but this week alone we have prepared at least eight batches.
“We also get a lot of orders from customers on Burns Night itself, so we usually sell four times the amount we normally do.
“We are expecting to sell at least 200 puddings this week, but the size of each pudding ranges from small to large, so the actual amount is probably a lot greater.”
