Offally good
Few things are as an undeniably Scottish as the haggis. This mix of offal, oatmeal, suet, onions, salt, pepper and spices all wrapped in sheep's stomach lining has long been considered the country's national dish.
But, invariably, modern day living has had a hand in the evolution of the haggis. For convenience, plastic cases have largely replaced the traditional sheep's stomach lining and there is even a vegetarian version.
To find out the types of haggis being offered throughout the UK, Chef teamed up with Food From Britain - the Government-funded organisation promoting home-produced speciality foods - to sample a selection of the spicy meat creations.
The tasting was hosted at the Cawdor Tavern, Cawdor, near Inverness, owned by one of the tasters, Norman Sinclair. The other three tasters were chefs from around the area. Thirteen products were tasted.
The tasters
NORMAN SINCLAIR is proprietor and managing director of Cawdor Tavern, a country pub with two bars and a 70-seat restaurant serving modern Scottish cuisine. KEVIN EWINGS is the pub's chef.
Both Sinclair and Ewings say they are looking for a haggis that has good presentation and a high-quality taste.
CHARLIE LOCKLEY is head chef of Caterer Adopted Business Boath House, in Auldearn, Nairn. The six-bedroom hotel and 35-seat fine-dining restaurant has an average of 15 customers a day for dinner, each spending up to £50.
Haggis is served only twice-yearly in the restaurant, and for Lockley the key is the taste. He was hopingto discover a new range of products during thetasting.
WILLIAM DEANS is executive chef of Auchterarder House, Auchterarder, Perthshire, part of Wrens Group. About 20 lunchtime diners and an average of 30 dinner guests eat in either of the two fine-dining restaurants seating 30 and 15 people. The hotel also holds up to 70 weddings and banquets each year.
With typical customer spend at £60, Deans thinks it is important that the haggis he serves is of top quality. He was looking for products that were "creamy with a hint of spice; full bodied and meaty, but not stodgy or dull". n
