Hooray for Haggis: It’s Burns Night Tomorrow!

Burns night is one of the quirkier festivals in the UK calendar and is celebrated mainly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It is a celebration of the life and poetry of famous Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796), who wrote mainly in the Scottish dialect. Amongst many other things he wrote the lyrics to the well-known New Year’s ditty, Auld Lang Syne. Typically Burns Night is celebrated with a traditional Burns Night supper which is held on or around Robert Burns’ birthday on 25^th January. The first suppers were held at the end of the 18th century by Robert Burns' friends on 21st July, the anniversary of his death, and have been a regular occurrence ever since. The meal has 3 essential features: haggis, Scotch whisky and poetry.

The Meal

The Burns Supper traditionally begins with the Selkirk Grace, a thanksgiving poem said before the meal:

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae let the Lord be thankit.

This precedes a starter of  ‘Cock-a-Leekie’ soup, unsurprisingly containing chicken and leeks and thickened with barley.

Then comes the real star of the show! It may sound unappetising but haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep's heart, liver and lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and seasoning, traditionally encased in the animal's stomach. This is served with "neeps and tatties" (turnip and potato) and washed down with a glass of Scotch Whisky.

During formal celebrations, an elaborate ceremony surrounds the presentation of the haggis involving the playing of bagpipes on its entry and the recitation of the ‘Address to theHaggis’. 

Various toasts are proposed throughout the evening, resulting in the consumption of many a glass of whisky.

Celebrating Burns Night in Oxford?

Why not go for a 3 course Burns Night Supper at The Crown or The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford which is being served all this week from Monday 20^th - Sunday 26^th January?

Alternatively pick up a haggis from the butchers in the Covered Market and cook up your own celebratory meal following the recipe here.

Happy Apple Day!

There is no denying that the British love their apples, so much so that an annual festival is held in their honour. And what better excuse to gorge yourself on some of the 2300 varieties of apple grown in the UK? The apple is a hugely versatile fruit and is the perfect addition to any lunchbox or fruit bowl. Whether blended into juices, tossed into a crumble or reduced to a sumptuous sauce for meats, apples feature heavily in British cuisine.

Since 21st October 1990 when the first Apple Day celebrations were held in Covent Garden, London, orchards all over the country have opened their doors for apple tastings, scrumping, bobbing and competitions and this year has been no different. But whilst many of the Apple Day celebrations have now been and gone, here are 6 of the Best British apple varieties you may like to try during your time in the UK:

Cox
Considered by some to be the quintessential English apple, these little beauties have delicate skins, a crisp texture and a subtle flavour.

Egremont Russet
This sweet apple has a rough greenish-brown skin and a slightly nutty flavour.

Worcester Pearmain
An early English variety with coarse, white flesh, this apple is crisp, juicy and aromatic with a strawberry-like flavour.

Braeburn
My personal favourite, the Braeburn was first raised in New Zealand before being grown in the UK since the 1990s and in my opinion it is everything an apple should be - crunchy, sweet and tangy!

Gala
Also originally from New Zealand, this is now the largest single variety of eating apple produced in England. Gala apples are sweet and juicy with an attractive red striped skin.

Bramley
Perfect for any crumble, the Bramley is the most popular cooking apple in England and Wales and has a sharp flavour which holds its own when cooked.

Click here for a delicious Apple Crumble Recipe - the much-loved British dessert.

Source: www.englishapplesandpears.co.uk

Glasto!

So in case you haven't heard Glastonbury is about to kick off tomorrow (the music that is, as thousands have already arrived to Worthy Farm to bagsy a good tenting spot). Glastonbury is a very exiciting time for festival enthusiasts. As well as those who like to sleep in a tent very close to lots of other tents, drink cider for breakfast and listen to music for hours upon hours.  It takes place in Pilton, in Somerset, and was established by Michael Eavis, a farmer, in 1970. 

Glastonbury is now considered the largest greenfield festival in the world. All 135,000 tickets for 2013 sold out in 1 hour 40 minutes. It has grown massively since the first Glastonbury in 1970, where people enjoyed free entry and were given a free pint of milk on arrival. By 1979, it became a three-day affair, and attendance increased year by year until passing the 100,000 mark in 1998.

A question surrounding the Glastonbury festival is what will the weather be like? Hopefully this year the festival will be free from the flash floods which submergend tents in what is thought to have been the wettest Glastonbury, in 2005. Rain has graced the festival today and although there is a chance of rain again tomorrow, Glastonbury-goers can expect some sunny spells over the weekend with highs of 22C.

Click here to see highlights from muddy Glastonbury times.

Happy festival to those festival goers in Somerset!  I do hope the sun will shine.