In high spirits

The spirits were high on the British Club lawns (inside the  British Deputy High Commission) on January 25 as members came together to celebrate the birth anniversary of Scottish national poet Robert Burns with a traditional Burns Supper. 

Live band music, a curated menu and a special whisky-tasting session from Amber Glen (a Scotch brand soon to be launched in India) and a talk on the golden traditions of Scotch whisky by the Diageo brand ambassador Brandon Toborg made it a night to remember.

“Burns is to Scotland what Tagore probably is to Bengal and perhaps even to India. Burns is the national poet, he led quite a short life but like Shakespeare he was not necessarily very highly educated but he brought together all the folk traditions of the people of England. He was an early Romantic poet, he had influenced the later poets and he was one of the earliest free thinkers who had said A Man’s A Man For A’ That,” said British deputy high commissioner Bruce Bucknell, the host for the evening.

On the menu: The Burns Night menu isn’t complete without the Cock-a-Leekie Soup made with leek and peppered chicken stock, Haggis served with Neeps and Tatties, and Cranachan, a popular Scottish pudding. Also on the menu were Shepherd’s Pie, Baked Veg Cannelloni, Buttered Rice and Dundee Cake.

Text: Sibendu Das
Pictures: Rashbehari Das