'I tried the famous haggis toastie with six toppings – it's almost perfect'

25 January 2023 , 12:19

637 0

It's Burns Night, and people across Scotland and the rest of the UK will be eating haggis to mark the birthday of poet Robert Burns, who wrote Address to a Haggis.

To mark the occasion, I visited Deeney's Café in Leyton, east London to try their iconic haggis toastie, which people well and truly rave about.

You might have spotted Deeney's at some of London's most famous food markets, including in Broadway Market in Hackney, but in 2015 they set up a permanent home in Leyton.

The cosy restaurant celebrates everything Scottish, but it's their Macbeth haggis toastie, a modern twist on Scotland's classic dish, that has a cult following.

'I tried the famous haggis toastie with six toppings – it's almost perfect' eiqdhiquhiuzinv

The Mirror's Ariane tried Deeney's famous haggis toastie (Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)

A few of the recent reviews on Trip Advisor say: "Absolutely love the Hamish Macbeth toastie. We get it every single time!" and "Just thinking about it makes me salivate, it's that delicious.".

Dr Michael Mosley shares exercise that can cut cholesterol and blood pressure

Another said: "I am salivating just remembering the Hamish Macbeth Toastie I had at Deeneys. It was simply the best toastie I have ever had. I wanted another immediately. They are the crack of toasties. Inappropriate maybe, but true for me."

I visited their Leyton café try their £8.50 Hamish Macbeth toastie, which consists of haggis, bacon, cheddar, rocket, caramelised onions and mustard. You can get the standard Macbeth toastie for £7.50, which is all of the above, minus the bacon.

For those who don't know, haggis is a savoury pudding that combines meat with oatmeal, onions, salt and spices – encased in sheep lungs. It's not exactly a dish I eat very often, but people rave about this toastie so I was really interested to try it.

'I tried the famous haggis toastie with six toppings – it's almost perfect'

Deeney's Café in Leyton, east London (Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)

I opted to get the sandwich as a takeaway, and as soon as I opened the wrapping when I got home my cat went wild, so there's no doubting it smells amazing.

I'm not the biggest haggis fan, but I think this sandwich, which has been described by several other publications as the 'best sandwich in London', is enough to turn even the biggest haggis-sceptic around.

The haggis itself is peppery and flavourful, and combined with the salty flavour of the bacon, the creamy cheese and tangy caramelised onion, it's got huge potential.

That being said, it's not completely perfect in my eyes. There's one very dominant flavour I can't get past – the mustard. I'm just not a big fan of the strong flavour.

The famous Macbeth toastie (Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)

The crispy, toasted bread itself is also great, with cheese oozing out from the sides, and plenty of meat in there. But the mustard is overpowering and quite spicy.

That being said, if you're a fan of the condiment, you will love it. I also still managed to eat the whole thing, mustard or no mustard, so it's definitely worth a try if you can.

I'd happily eat it again, but I might ask if they can leave the mustard out.