MacSween haggis

[Wowbagger]

We've just had some.

Earlier on today my daughter mentioned that the quality seems to have dropped: she reckoned it wasn't as peppery as it used to be. The consensus around the McBagger dinner table was that she was right.

What do others think?

[chris]

Don't know about MacSweens. The chris family have just tucked in to a haggis from the butchers in Rothesay and jolly good it was too.

When I was working in Dunoon the owner of the rather nice Hunters Quay Hotel told me that the best haggis was made by Grant's.

[citoyen]

My wife's cousin who lives north of Inverness (and has rarely ventured further south) also recommends Grant's.

I couldn't say whether or not MacSween's has reduced the quality because I haven't had any recently. We're postponing Burns Night until the weekend when we're all around to enjoy it together. (My mother-in-law is Scottish by birth but not exactly a staunch traditionalist. The rest of us only celebrate Burns Night cos we enjoy any excuse to eat haggis.)

d.

[andygates]

No idea, but it's still damn tasty.  And pepper is an easy addition to make!

[Rig of Jarkness]

Haven't noticed any difference - remains good imo !

Best place in Scotland for haggis seems to be Dalbeattie...BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | South of Scotland | Town becomes Scots haggis capital
We always buy some when we're down there, jolly nice it is too.

[Cyclops]

I used to live just across the road from MacSween's when it was a butcher's shop in Bruntsfield. They did go down hill a bit when they moved to a shiny factory in Loanhead but that may have been due to rather than buying them fresh over the counter they now come in vacuum-sealed plastic in supermarkets.

I'm a bit more partial to Findlay's haggis myself but I may be biased as they're made in Musselburgh.

[MercuryKev]

I heard that they've been having problems sourcing decent lungs.  The sheep up here just haven't been the same since the smoking ban.

[simonp]

I forgot. I may have to order one in for the weekend.

The big problem is living on my own. I can eat a whole one, but only just.

[FatBloke]

I'm nomming haggis right now!!!!   

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I only eat the veggie stuff and that hasn't deteriorated at all. MacSween's veggie haggis is nicer than any meat haggis I ever ate when I was a meat eater. We had MacSween veggie haggis samosas from Mrs Unis yesterday. Nom nom nom.

[Wowbagger]

I had a MacSween veggie haggis once, or more than once. It is indeed very good: maybe I'm remembering how good the veggie one was and am now disappointed with the meat alternative?

[citoyen]

They have to put more seasoning in veggie food to give ig some flavour.

d.

[andygates]

The veggie one is good.

The other half of this one is very good because it is in mah belleh.

[rafletcher]

We've just had some.

Earlier on today my daughter mentioned that the quality seems to have dropped: she reckoned it wasn't as peppery as it used to be. The consensus around the McBagger dinner table was that she was right.

What do others think?

It's not a drop in quality, it's (possibly, assuming it has changed) a recipe change to reflect changing tastes, or to garner a larger market. My mother complains the bacon nowadays isn't as good as when she was a girl - by which she means it's about half as salty.

[Rig of Jarkness]

Had some for our tea tonight.  As enjoyable as ever   

[Jaded]

We had a huge one split over 2 nights.

The consensus was that it was much more peppery on the 2nd night.

[Tourist Tony]

I have just been to W*itrose, where there were trays of McSween's microwave sliced haggis. The slogan was "Guardians of Scottish cuisine".

[Fab Foodie]

We've just had some.

Earlier on today my daughter mentioned that the quality seems to have dropped: she reckoned it wasn't as peppery as it used to be. The consensus around the McBagger dinner table was that she was right.

What do others think?

It's not a drop in quality, it's (possibly, assuming it has changed) a recipe change to reflect changing tastes, or to garner a larger market. My mother complains the bacon nowadays isn't as good as when she was a girl - by which she means it's about half as salty.

Agreed, also Pepper is bloody variable stuff as an industrial raw material, we probably have more problem with it in seasonings than anything else.