A Burns' Night supper must always begin with Burns' own Selkirk
Grace : "Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that
want it; But we hae meat and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit."
The menu usually consists of cock-a-leekie soup (or Scotch Broth)
and haggis with "tatties and neeps" (also known as clapshot
- don't ask me why!), Tipsy Laird (sherry trifle to you and me)
followed by oatcakes and cheese, all washed down with liberal
tots of good Scotch whisky! The haggis is "piped" in
- brought in ceremoniously by the chef accompanied by a piper
- and "addressed" with Burns' own poem before being
cut and served. Traditional speeches and toasts punctuate the
meal (...more Scotch...) and Burns' Night suppers range from the
formal to the frankly uproarious excuse for yet more partying,
but they all follow the same basic format.
