Tesco is showcasing haggis from Perthshire butcher Simon Howie in premium displays at 776 stores in England and Wales for the first time in a deal worth over £670,000.
The UK’s biggest supermarket expects to shift massive amounts north and south of the border with 60% of sales in England and Wales. Simon Howie says it will deliver more than 1.2 million haggis – the equivalent of 3.5 million plates of Scotland’s national dish, and topping the previous record set for sales in 2019 by 200,000.
Simon Howie said: “Since becoming the UK’s best-selling haggis brand four years ago we have continued to see double digit growth year on year. It is absolutely testament to my hard-working team and the strength of relationship that we have with all the retailers that this year is set to be a another record breaker as our haggis is put on key promotional space in supermarkets across the country in the run up to Burns Night.
“Also helping our sales is the growing popularity of our Vegetarian haggis, which is actually Vegan certified, so we’re starting to see an uptake in new customers trying our products who previously wouldn’t have been able to. We are absolutely delighted with sales so far this January and are working round the clock to deliver the 1.2 million haggis forecast for Burns.”
Simon Howie says it accounts for 53% of total haggis sales at this time of year. The brand’s Original Haggis 454g is the UK’s best-selling haggis. Sales of Simon Howie’s Vegetarian Haggis, which is Vegan certified by the Vegetarian Society, were up by 31% across the UK in 2019 and the butcher is forecasting a further increase in sales this year. Full year traditional and vegetarian haggis sales are also up 14% in 2019.
James Lamont of Tesco said: “While haggis is known as the national dish of Scotland – it’s been the case for quite some time that more haggis are sold in England than Scotland each year and that Burns Night is very much a nationally celebrated event – and not just by Scots living south of the border.
“It is a brilliant result for both Tesco and Simon Howie to be working together and offering our customers in England and Wales great value with the Original 454g Haggis on offer in stores across the south for the two weeks leading up to Burns Night. This highlights our commitment to fully support regional brands that hold national appeal.”
