As a warm-up to Burns Night, Boisdale of Bishopsgate hosted a dinner with a guest of honour: Stanley Phillips, the US Embassy’s councillor for Agricultural Affairs. The US has banned the import of haggis since the Seventies. “I’m glad to say I’m no longer a haggis virgin,” said Phillips as he tucked in. The ongoing campaign also had the support of the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA); haggis manufacturers Macsween; and House of Lords member Lord Ian McColl of Dulwich, who raised the issue in the House on 15 January. Haggis has been banned in the US since 1971 amid apparent concerns over its safety.