Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Staggis, Scotland’s True National Dish

  • Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
  • Motion reference: S5M-03460

That the Parliament welcomes master butchers Joe Callaghan and Gary Wallace’s mission to rebrand Scotland’s national dish as "staggis"; understands that, after years of research into the history and origin of haggis, the award-winning butchers from Helensburgh have concluded that the sheep’s pluck dish enjoyed by Scots across the world on Burns' Night has wrongly laid claim to the title of “great chieftain o the puddin’-race”; believes that their research has shown that the Vikings brought haggis to Scotland in the ninth century, that the name derives from the old Norse word "haggw", which means "hack to pieces", and that the original haggis was made from the meat of indigenous Highland red deer, as, it understands, lamb was not widely available until after the Highland clearances; considers that the handmade "staggis" from the independent craft butchers, Callaghan’s of Helensburgh, which is made using wild venison sourced from the lands of Luss estates on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, offers a more authentic take on Scotland’s national dish; further considers that it is of higher quality than the mass-produced versions of the dish found in supermarkets, many of which it believes do not always contain Scottish-sourced products; commends Joe and Gary's efforts to elevate the status of haggis to that of a fine malt whisky; believes that, as one of the key symbols of Scotland’s food and drink repertoire, a greater emphasis on the quality and provenance of haggis products would be of benefit to the food and tourism sectors; encourages people to support their independent butchers, and wishes Scots at home and abroad a happy Burns' Night 2017.


Supported by: Graeme Dey, Richard Lyle