Every January 25, Burns night is celebrated around the world.

Hay Wines in Ledbury was host to the time-honoured tradition of ‘addressing the haggis’ courtesy of renowned whisky writer Ian Buxton (101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die).

Ian, who lives in Malvern, presented a journey through whiskies to a sell out audience, weaving stories of Scotland’s most famous poet Robbie Burns into a history of whisky-making.

He even brought along an ancient copper still to describe how whisky is made. Much sampling of a curated selection of whiskies by an appreciative audience was of course compulsory.

Keeping things local, the haggis was provided by Wallers Butchers.

The first supper was held in memoriam at Burns Cottage in Ayrshire by Burns’s friends, on  July 21, 1801, the fifth anniversary of his death.

It has been a regular occurrence ever since.

The first still extant Burns Club was founded in Greenock in 1801 by merchants who were born in Ayrshire, some of whom had known Burns.

They held the first Burns supper on what they thought was his birthday, January 29, 1802, but in 1803, they discovered the Ayr parish records that noted his date of birth was actually January 25, 1759.

Since then, suppers have been held on or about January 25. Everyone stands as the haggis is brought in. Haggis is a meat dish but in recent decades, a vegetarian alternative is often available.

It is usually brought in by the cook on a large dish, generally while a bagpiper leads the way to the host’s table, where the haggis is laid down. “A Man’s A Man for A’ That”, “Robbie Burns Medley” or “The Star O’ Robbie Burns” might be played. The host, or perhaps a guest, then recites the Address to a Haggis.