Scotland serves up the world famous Burns supper

Homecoming Scotland 2009 in partnership with Scotland’s favourite whisky, The Famous Grouse, has this week launched The World Famous Burns Supper Celebration as part of the Homecoming Scotland programme that will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet.

For the first time ever The World Famous Burns Supper Celebration will unite both experienced Burnsians and Burns novices around the world encouraging them to come together online, registering their celebrations – big, small, traditional or unusual. The aim is to show the world that Burns’ legacy is still alive and kicking today and that his message of friendship and Auld Lang Syne lives on, joining people all over the world.

A new website burnssupper2009.com has been created to capture everyone’s plans for celebrating this landmark Burns Night and establish a new World Record for the greatest number of Burns suppers ever held. Every supper registered will be flagged on an interactive world map – demonstrating the global reach of Burns today. The website will also provide a range of Burns material including a step by step guide to hosting a Burns supper complete with menu ideas from some of Scotland’s leading chefs, invitation templates, poems, songs, film clips and music downloads.

Paul Bush, OBE, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland said:

“We are delighted to launch The World Famous Burns Supper Celebration with The Famous Grouse and encourage everyone around the world, whatever they are doing for Burns Night to join in by registering on the site. We hope to hear of a vast array of different celebrations including the largest ever Burns supper and perhaps the highest, such as one held on the top of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina last year.”

Those who participate in the celebration will be eligible to win some fantastic prizes including two Homecoming week-long trips, courtesy of The Famous Grouse with flights, dinner, bed and breakfast, car hire and VIP tickets to the Homecoming opening weekend events.

To mark the occasion The Famous Grouse has also specially commissioned 250 bottles of a limited edition of The Famous Grouse, 37 year old blended malt, signifying every year of Burns’ extraordinary life. The bottles will be auctioned to some of the most prestigious Burns Suppers around the world helping raise money for charity.

Gerry O’Donnell, Director of the Famous Grouse, said:

“With an estimated 45 million Scottish descendents around the world, this is a great opportunity to bring everyone together to celebrate Scotland. And what better way to do this than with a dram of Scotland’s favourite whisky and one of Scotland’s best known exports, The Famous Grouse.”

The World Famous Burns Supper Celebration kicks off Homecoming Scotland 2009 - a year long celebration marking Scotland’s great contributions to the world with events and festivities running from Burns Night (25th January) through to St Andrew’s Day (November 30th).

Scotland is a great place to celebrate Burns Night, particularly in 2009, but if you can’t get to Scotland you can still take part in the celebrations by joining the World Famous Burns Supper Celebration. Invite your friends, families and colleagues to join you by logging onto burnssupper2009.com.