A SCOT who lives in Catalonia has written to haggis maker Macsween of Edinburgh complaining that Brexit has blighted his Burns Night because he can’t get hold of one of their puddings.
Mike Thom, who is originally from Edinburgh, has been living in the Catalan capital Barcelona with his wife, Kirsty, and their family for more than 20 years, and even started a Burns Club there.
He is a supporter of independence for Scotland and Catalonia, and was famously pictured in The National casting his vote while wearing a kilt in the 2017 independence referendum there.
However, plans for Barcelona Burns Club’s annual event next week have hit a stumbling block because of Brexit, and the difficulties acquiring a Macsween’s haggis.
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Thom decided to write to the company to highlight the problem, but he penned his email in Scots, to see if it would be understood at the firm’s HQ at Loanhead, outside Edinburgh.
He wrote to Dear Team Macsween: “Hola neebors. I hae been bidin’ here in Barcelona since 1999 and founded the Barcelona Burns Club.
“We had braw suppers wi’ yer excellent bill o’ fare, transported majestically and transparently by the wonders o’ yon www.
“Alas, this is the second year that Bawbag has stymied me wi’ a supply situation worse than yon red cross parcel logistics sent oot tae Colditz castle fir the prisoners in WW2.
“Watching the lengthening truck queues at Dover and increasing demise of disUnited K, I wondered if your (no doubt incredible) SWAT team in marketing had considered establishing a production facility on the fine Emerald Isle in the independent republic of Ireland.
“The braw neebors there continue to maintain club membership with EU and this would facilitate my procurement of haggis for the consumption thereof, as the Guid Lord so intended.”
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Frustrated with the limited options on offer in Catalonia, Thom added: “Aw we can get here is a sh***y can o’ dug’s food called Grant’s @ €4.50 for 392g.
“January 25 is on Tuesday and even my 11-year-auld telt me, ‘ah’m no eatin’ that sh***!’
“I have discovered that an Argentinian morcilla de ceba [black pudding] makes a fine replacement for the honest sonsie face, but it’s no the same.
“Although the bairn can address it in Spanish.
“Hoots, slainte i visca Catalunya…"
The National contacted Team Macsween to pursue Thom’s request, but they have not yet responded.
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