So much so, in fact, that there was a moment earlier this year when London store Fortnum & Mason announced that it had run out of its entire stock.
Consequently, haggis – traditional Scottish sausage made from a sheep’s stomach stuffed with diced sheep’s liver, lungs and heart, oatmeal, onion, suet and seasoning – is fast becoming a fashionable menu option for pub operators.
Scots producer Macsween says its haggis is on the menus of pub groups across the UK, including JD Wetherspoon, as well as a number of Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) brands.
One M&B brand, Castle, has been serving Scotch eggs with haggis on a number of its menus, while a second – Vintage Inns – has been known to offer haggis en croute.
High-end haggis
Haggis is also starting to appear in high-end restaurants, and not just those with a British theme.
Michelin-starred chef Sriram Aylur, of Indian restaurant Quilon in London, is known for his Haggis Vada canapés – a mix of Bengal gram dhal, ginger and Macsween Vegetarian Haggis served with hot coconut chutney.
He also produces a canapé called Kothu Haggis – Jersey new potatoes stuffed with haggis, which is in turn rolled in a chapatti and wheat tortilla.
American restaurant and bar the Filling Station, based at various sites around Scotland, has haggis bites fried in its own recipe beer batter and served with seasonal leaves and a sweet chilli dip on its two-course specials menu (£11.95) as well as a haggis burger topped with fried egg, rocket and mayonnaise.
Arcade Haggis and Whisky House in Edinburgh serves a Robert Burns Famous Haggis which layers mashed turnip, potatoes and haggis (£9.95) with either whisky sauce or bacon added for an extra £1.
The pub also serves a Princess Dianna Haggis with a specially made to order creamy sauce infused with tomatoes, onions and Drambuie (£10.95) as well its special haggis nachos (£5.90/6.90).