Next week officially marks Burns Night, where we Scots celebrate our iconic poet Robert Burns with a supper of haggis, neeps and tatties.
Now, we don't know about you, but we're quite partial to a good haggis supper and tend to indulge our cravings on more than just one day a year.
In fact, we'd even go so far to say that we would eat haggis with pretty much anything and are always open to trying out new recipes which include the Scottish culinary delight.
With more retailers and restaurants offering their own unique takes on the Scottish dish, there is certainly a lot more opportunities to try it out than ever before.
That's why, we decided to sample a few offerings from M&S' new Burns Night range which just recently launched in stores across the country.
The British retailer has introduced a selection of "first ever" dishes that arrived perfectly in time for us to sample well before Burns Night next week.
With the range offering new and creative takes on one of our favourite dishes, we decided to send our reporter Rachel Williams to test out the new range and see if it lives up to the hype.
This is how she got on...
What was sampled?
All the items were selected because they are brand new offerings and Rachel wanted to see how they fared.
- M&S Collection Handmade Scottish Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with a Scotch Whisky Cream Sauce - £10
- M&S Haggis Cheese Bake - £4.50
- M&S Haggis Scotch Egg - £1.50
M&S Collection Handmade Scottish Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with a Scotch Whisky Cream Sauce
First up, I decided to start with the main dish itself, as the retailer has recently launched this show-stopping stand-out that serves four people.
The traditional Burns supper centre-piece has been described as a 'nationwide first' by M&S and made from traditional Scottish recipe haggis, mashed swede and creamed potatoes, topped with Scottish oats and herbs.
First things first; Even I must admit that this eye-catching stack adds a certain sophisticated quality to our Burns supper, so it immediately gets brownie points for looking good.
But, how does it taste?
Well, absolutely delicious, if we must say so ourselves.
I've always been a bit hesitant with haggis stacks, because no-one wants to take away from the individual taste of the haggis, neeps and tatties themselves, but this definitely works well with each flavour.
The mash on top is soft and fluffy, the neeps are sweet and the haggis...well, it's warm and peppery.
Added with a dash of hot whisky cream sauce, this delightful stack will wow your guests both on presentation and flavour.
M&S haggis cheese bake
Next up on the list of samples was the brand new haggis cheese bake, which is also another completely new offering for the UK supermarket scene.
This one-of-a-kind dish has been described as "oozing Winter warming vibes", and since we've been cold since the winter hit, I couldn't resist.
My overall thoughts of with this? Whoever thought of putting haggis and cheese together deserves a round of applause.
This Scottish dish, with it's mix of Macsween haggis and Scottish Cheddar, may sound completely out there, but let us assure you that it's worth trying out.
If served hot, this brand new dish makes for a perfect sharing dish with your friends. Think of it as a haggis-based fondue and you've got the idea.
Top tip for if you try this bake, dunk in some bread - or oatcakes to be really Scottish - because it really livens this up.
My overall thought was that it was warming and indulgent and, quite frankly, who doesn't need that on these colder evenings?
M&S haggis scotch egg
Last on our list of samples was the retailer's new haggis scotch egg, which, I'll admit, I was rather sceptical of when we first thought about it.
Unlike the haggis and cheese combo that turned out to be surprisingly tasty, we found this combo of haggis and a hard boiled egg to be a bit more...interesting.
That being said, I have been committed to trying out new things from M&S and, since the last two samples have exceeded expectations, I had high hopes.
After finally dipping my toes - or should I say teeth? - into this new territory, I must admit the haggis scotch egg was not bad.
The haggis crumb is delightful and gives a slight spice to, what is otherwise, a bland pub classic.
For us, the haggis crumb was what elevated this dish, but it didn't really leave me with the wow factor that the cheese bake and the haggis stack did.
Don't get me wrong, it was definitely still nice, but scotch eggs can sometimes be quite dry and this was no exception - though the haggis did help not leave that dry aftertaste in the mouth.
Overall verdict
I have to be honest, that it's very hard to find a lot of faults with the new Burns Night range from M&S as the retailer has once again knocked it out of the park - mostly.
If you're looking for a feast that features a show-stopping centre piece and unique twists on our favourite dish, then M&S has provided a range for you.
The Collection handmade haggis stack doesn't just taste nice, but it provides a convenient centre-piece for your Burns supper that can be shared with friends and family.
The Cheese Bake is arguably the stand-out of the entire range and will warm your soul and your stomach.
Even the scotch egg, while not our favourite, was still delightful in its own way and still went down a treat.
Overall, the new items for M&S Burns Night range are definitely worth the money for a unique, show-stopping and tasty Burns supper that you can raise a dram to.
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