Celebrating Burns Night by being virtually there!
Unable to host its annual Burns’ Night supper, distillers are encouraging people to celebrate online Robbie Burns’ birthday on Monday January 25.
Spirit of Yorkshire’s Libby Barmby has prepared a social media campaign to mark the birth date of Scotland’s famous poet.
It includes links to Filey Bay’s new Tasting Set, a Jamie Oliver recipe, a suggested poem and a tasting and nosing video.
Scottish born of Yorkshire descent, Ms Barmby has organised the popular Burns’ Night supper since 2018 and is naturally disappointed not to be welcoming people to the distillery which is based near Scarborough in North Yorkshire ,to celebrate.
“Traditionally, Burns’ night celebrations range from big formal dinners with vociferous toasts to friends cracking a bottle of something tasty and enjoying each other’s company.
This Burns’ night, we’re encouraging people to do the latter, from the comfort and safety of their own homes,” she said.
“We have developed a special Filey Bay Tasting Set that includes three of our most popular drams plus flavour profiles of each and a guide to tasting whisky.
“We have coupled that with a suggested recipe, poem and a video link to help newcomers to whisky to nose and taste the spirit.”
The Filey Bay Tasting Sets cost £27.50 and are available online from www.spiritofyorkshire.com site.
Spirit of Yorkshire was launched in 2016 and is a collaboration between farmer and brewer Tom Mellor, from Wold Top Brewery, and business partner David Thompson.
Burns fame has surged in recent years giving rise to more Burns Nights than ever taking place all over the world. But it wasn’t just his linguistic skills that have written Burns into the pages of human history.
His story is one of a true underdog, rising from an impoverished, bleak childhood in rural Scotland to the highest circles of society in
his time, in true rock star fashion burning out and dying young, living life hard and fast like many of the greats, like a 15th century Elvis Presley.
Aside from poetry; Burns is perhaps best known for his love of whisky and a good old knees-up.
In Scotland, the haggis is the star of the show on Burns night. There’s a poem to ‘Address the Haggis’ as it enters the room on a silver platter with bagpipes in the background.
The website includes a link to a Jamie Oliver recipe for haggis, neeps and tatties.
Method: Peel and quarter the potatoes and turnips or swedes. Place the haggis in a large pan of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.
Cook the turnips or swedes and the potatoes in separate pans of boiling salted
water for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain the veg separately.
Return the turnips or swedes to the pan, add half the butter and mash, keeping chunky. Season to taste. Cover to keep warm.
Trim and roughly chop the spring onions. Melt the remaining butter in the potato pan, add the spring onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the potatoes and mash until quite smooth, seasoning to taste. Cover to keep warm.
Remove the cooked haggis, cut open and place a portion onto each warmed plate. Divide up the turnips or swedes and potatoes.
There is also a recipe for traditional Scottish dessert cranachan and a selection of Robbie Burns’ poetry.
To take part visit https:// www.spiritofyorkshire.com/ and look under NEWS tab.