HAGGIS WILL be enjoyed by people in over 20 countries worldwide this Burns night.

The iconic Scottish dish has seen an export growth of 136% over the past decade, with a total value at £8.8 million.

Some of the countries who have jumped on the haggis boom include Greece, Iceland, Malta, Hong Kong, and Ghana

Hong Kong has become the fourth-most popular market for haggis, closely following the Republic of Ireland, Spain and France.

Neeps and tatties have also increased in popularity across the globe, with potato exports increasing by 32% over the past ten years to be worth £108 million in 2019, and turnip exports increased to a value of £11 million that same year.

UK Minister for Scotland, Douglas Ross, welcomed the global success of the iconic Scottish dish: “The life and work of Robert Burns is rightly celebrated around the world. Another Scottish global success story is our iconic food and drink sector and it’s so pleasing to see products such as haggis and whisky enjoying an exports boom. The future is very bright.”

Macsween of Edinburgh has witnessed the world’s change in appetite for haggis and in 2018 they began exporting haggis to locations such as Canada and Singapore. It is now looking to take a bigger bite out of markets in the Middle East and Asia, with a particular focus on the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan.

Managing director and owner of Macsween, James Macsween: “Macsween now exports haggis to seven international markets, and we expect to see that demand continue to grow as more people around the world come to love our traditional Scottish delicacy. We are proud to grow through innovation, and are dedicated to introducing our award-winning products to people around the world who are yet to discover haggis.”

Defra secretary Theresa Villiers added: “Robert Burns was so enamoured with haggis that he dedicated an entire poem to the delicacy and it’s wonderful that it continues to be enjoyed around the world – more than 200 years later. This Burns Night I encourage everyone to sample some haggis and pour a wee dram to celebrate Scotland’s iconic food and drink and growing presence on the world’s culinary stage."