Technically Burns Night falls on 25 January but other plans mean I won’t be able to have my haggis, neeps and tatties that evening so that instead made my lunch today (including the obligatory wee dram of whisky).

While doing the washing up, I listened to an episode of The Food Programme (BBC Sounds) on the subject and it turns out that real afficionados will celebrate the event multiple times between January and March because just one event per year isn’t enough. Sounds a good logic to me, especially marking the historical figure who not only established the perception that haggis was the traditional dish of Scotland but also that whisky (rather than claret, brandy or other choices previously popular) was its national drink. It turns out that traditions are often a bit more flexible than you might expect.