Blackburn Market will be celebrating Burns Night this Saturday with activities for the whole family. Dales Butchers will be selling the traditional Burns Night delicacy of Haggis supplied by the award winning Browns Lancashire Haggis Company of Chorley. Customers will also be able to pick up Haggis Pies, Haggis Slice and Haggis with Black Pudding Slice.
Liselle Hollin who works on the Dales stall explains, ‘Haggis is a Scottish dish made of the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep or lamb, combined with oats, suet and other herbs and spices, and then cooked in a casing traditionally made of the animal’s stomach.’
Many people and organisations hold a Burns Night supper on or around 25 January which marks the birthdate of the Scottish poet, 
Robbie Burns. The evening centres on the entrance of the haggis, which is usually presented on a platter to 
the sound of bagpipes. Once the haggis is on the table, the host reads the Address to a Haggis. It includes stirring lines such as: “But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, the trembling earth resounds his tread.” At the end of the reading, the haggis is ceremonially sliced into two pieces and the meal begins.
Scottish Salmon is available from Mayors Fishmonger and tartan fashions and party goods at Girly Bits Fancy Dress. A specially mixed Scottish Shake is being served at M1lkshake. Ruby’s Cheese will be promoting their Scottish Chedder and the Bacon Stall will be providing Ayrshire Bacon.
Blackburn’s Tony Bolton will be playing the bagpipes in Blackburn Market and Church Street at 12 noon on Saturday 25 January.
Commercial Manager, David Smith said, ‘Blackburn Market promotes itself as ‘more than just a market’ and activities like this put us at the heart of the community. We’re working with local groups to make it a lively place where there is always something different to see and do. We’re keen to hear from charities and community organisations who want to use this great space to connect with shoppers.’
The British Heart Foundation and members of Blackburn with Darwen’s Heart Town team will be joining with stall traders in February for Ramp up the Red Day on Friday 7 February with a Valentine’s Day tombola and healthy heart promotion.
For more details of events on Blackburn Market go to the website www.blackburnmarket.co.uk
