Burns night dinner invitation

[ImNotReallyHere]

Hi. A friend has invited me to a Burns night dinner. What would you take? Whisky a bit expensive but maybe could stretch to it. Wine? Food contribution? Something Scottish?

Thanks all. She’s making a Scottish dessert so that’s out. Cranachan? lots of people saying tablet. I’ve never heard of it?

Might play it safe with wine and cheese. Is there a Scottish cheese?

A Scottish cheese that you can buy in an English supermarket I mean

You can actually buy tablet online. I once bought a large jar of Ross's tablet from Amazon and it wasn't bad at all. However, you can also buy from various independent companies. Just Google "Scottish tablet".

It's very often served with coffee at the end of a meal. It's a bit like fudge which is hard on the exterior but melts in the mouth. (That doesn't quite do it justice.)

Fidget! 😆

Mull cheddar is excellent. Not sure you can get it in Tesco, though.

Irn Bru is a good shout but only if you can get the original recipe in a glass bottle. Just taking some cans of sugar free Irn Bru is fairly random.

I’d just take some wine. I’d also have dinner before hand so I didn’t have to eat the haggis (also Scottish but I don’t think that means I should have to eat that!)

You’ve never heard of tablet? Seriously?

I can understand not hearing of cranachan (but you definitely need to try it) but tablet?? Wow.

12 cans of tenants and a bottle of buckfast!
or just a nice bottle of wine/flowers/chocolates etc

I would take wine. I think it’s a bit rude to bring food for that night if you haven’t been asked to (unless it’s a box of chocolates for the hosts).

It’s really not a thing outside of Scotland though is it. In England you have fudge instead.

It's not well known outside of Scotland. I am a Scot living in London and no one I know here has ever heard of it. I tried to get some earlier - I thought M& S might have some, but no.

tablet is kind of like fudge but sweeter and a bit more solid i suppose. everyome in scotland knows what it is.

you could look up a recipe and make some if you’re feeling brave.

You could order some tablet from Mrs Tillys website. I make my own, but I have bought this brand from Lidl now and again and it is very good indeed, the macaroons bars are to die for as well.

As a Scot, with unlimited access to the local farm shop tablet, I feel like I should be offering care packages of tablet to all you English folk who’ve never tried it!

I must admit I never liked it - far too sweet for me. My gran used to make it but I preferred her toffee. I prefer fat to sugar!

It really is incredibly sweet. Far more so than fudge or toffee somehow. I have a small piece every Burns and though it is delicious I can’t eat any more than that!

I think a selection of all the different Tunnocks would be just perfect!

Or some whisky fudge.

I wouldn't take food unless you check with the host. A Burns night dinner will have all the food planned and provided.

Whisky is great, but not everyone thinks so. Maybe wine. I'd ask the host what drinks they'd like you to bring.

I’m making a version of it for Sunday because I can’t eat onion, and every haggis for sale has onions in it!

I’m hoping the whisky sauce (or just the whisky) will enliven it.

Im scottish too and think its rank too. Would rather have a big dod of steak pie with my tatties and turnip 😋

I love Orkney 😋

As long as there's cranachan and lots of it 😋

I'm doing haggis and steak pie for those who won't eat haggis.

Can I come? 😆 🤣

I’d avoid whisky. The whisky drinkers I know are very particular about their tipple and have very expensive tastes!
I’d take wine as others have said. I just used ChatGPT to ask ‘which wine with haggis’ and got too long an answer to post here. Try the search yourself (or google) and then you can say you bought it specially as it pairs well with haggis (and explain the reason the search result gives you for the pairing).
if you wanted to take something additional, a gift bag of Scottish goodies: shortbread; Tunnocks tea cakes; haggis crisps; irn bru

Or a heather in a pot.

Looks like Morrisons sells Tennents lager.

i know what you take doesn’t have to be Scottish but if I’m invited to any themed evening I always try to take something related rather than generic.