A Fantastic Burns Night Party
Time to celebrate yet again! We really love to party at The Four Penny Pub, but this time we’re getting into the Scottish spirit and preparing the haggis for a proper Burns Night celebration. We’re throwing open our doors on the 21st of January, so you can plan your own supper on the 25th and enjoy an evening out with us!
Hallo And Wylcome From Robert Burns
This isn’t our party – it’s Robert Burns’! The 25th of January marks the birthday of Scotland’s National Bard, a storyteller and verse-maker. He’s almost the equivalent of an English Shakespeare, but with a great reputation for high spirits and wild living. Even down here in the English countryside, you’ve probably heard of some of his verses, from ‘To A Mouse’ to ‘Auld Lang Syne’! He’s a poet for all seasons, especially with some poems filled with the supernatural, from mischievous fairies to hauntings and witches. He’d be a great chap to have around on Halloween – in fact, one of his poems is even called ‘Halloween!’
After he died, nine of his friends got together to remember him, with good food and performances of his work. It was clearly a hit, as it’s on our calendars over 200 years later!
Burns Night Traditions
Thinking of hosting your own Burns Night? We’ve got you covered, with traditions perfect for a fancy dinner or family supper. If you’re headed to a particularly posh party, you might want to check out the formal dress code, with everyone wearing their own family tartan and following specific rules on style. However, the heart of a proper Burns Night is the food. A traditional supper will feature a chicken and leek soup and perhaps a highland casserole and Scottish dessert of raspberries and cream. All this is secondary to the main event, as essential as a Christmas tree in December – the haggis.
Haggis is a pudding, but not for those with a sweet tooth. It’s more like a sausage or a savoury steak and kidney dish, made of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, minced with onions, suet, stock and spices, and served up in a sheep’s stomach. The taste is something like a crumbly sausage with a strong peppery flavour, to be enjoyed with mashed turnips and potatoes (or, to give them their proper names, neeps and tatties). You can even make a vegan or vegetarian option, consisting of vegetables, beans, seeds and spices.
This is no ordinary meal, especially when it’s accompanied by the pomp and circumstance of some Burns Night parties! The dish is traditionally brought to the table to the sound of bagpipes, known as ‘Piping in the Haggis’, followed by a reading from Burns’ ‘Ode to a Haggis’.
One Special Pub Night
You might not have the time to host your own Burns Night, especially as it falls on a Wednesday this year. In that case, why not come over for a Scottish feast at The Four Penny Pub? We’ve got a toasty space and great company, not to mention a meal of cullen skink, haggis, beef and pudding. Washed down with a dram of whisky, of course. The whole evening only costs £35 per person, so put it in your diary quickly!
Get In Touch
Get in touch or visit us on Compton Street to find out more. Alternatively, scroll through our menus on our website. We can’t wait to serve you something truly mouth-watering!
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