The best veggie (vegan & vegetarian) haggis you can buy in the UK
Haggis is the national dish of Scotland, and it is well-known that Scots have been enjoying this strange dish for hundreds of years. We describe it as a strange dish because, for those of you that don't know, haggis is traditionally made from sheep’s offal (usually lungs). Sorry if we've put you off your Burns' Supper, but that's what it is. Luckily, for anyone who doesn't fancy that, or for anyone who simply chooses not to eat meat, there are some great veggie haggis options out there that you can enjoy as an alternative. We thought it would be useful to round up the best veggie haggis that we've found and tried, let's get into the list:
MacSween
We love everything about the vegetarian/vegan haggis from MacSween - obviously, we think the taste is excellent, but we also love that it actually looks like real haggis too. It's suitable for vegans because it's made with Vegetable Margarine rather than butter, and the margarine used in the haggis is also sustainable. The haggis is made mostly from oats, as well as a mix of vegetables like carrots, swedes, and mushrooms, and pulses like red lentils and kidney beans. It also has a tiny little spice kick thanks to the ground spices in the recipe. This is probably our go-to veggie haggis, learn more and buy it here - waitrose.com
Simon Howie vegetarian haggis
The veggie haggis from the Simon Howie brand is apparently the number 1 selling veggie haggis in the country, and we're not surprised by that at all. Before we even get into the product itself, the packaging has a quality feel to it and stands out on the shelves. But what's inside the packet is also very high quality and slightly different in texture to the MacSweens veggie haggis - where the MacSweens product had oats as the main ingredient, which gave the haggis a bit of a fuller texture, the Simon Howie Vegetarian Haggis lists carrots and swedes as the primary ingredients. We really noticed that this haggis has a much smoother texture compared to the MacSweens veggie haggis, which you prefer will come down to personal preference ultimately. This product is Vegan Approved by the Vegetarian Society too, so an extra thumbs up for any skeptical vegans. Learn more and buy it here - sainsburys.co.uk
Stahly Vegetarian Skinless HaggisÂ
This very nice-looking box actually contains a tin inside of it, which may put some people off buying this veggie haggis as some people don't like the idea of eating tinned food. But we have to say, tinned or not this product was very enjoyable, and we're not surprised to see that it is the best-selling veggie haggis on Amazon. Made with mostly oatmeal and a mix of turnips, kidney beans, and red lentils, we'd definitely say it is similar in texture and taste to the veggie haggis from MacSweens. It's totally suitable for vegans and vegetarians and can serve 2 people quite easily. Learn more and buy it here - amazon.co.uk
McIntosh of Strathmore Vegetarian Haggis Neeps & Tatties
This is quite an interesting option to include as you can't just buy this veggie haggis on its own - it has to be bought as part of a ready meal. But we think the entire meal as a whole is so good that it is well worthy of a spot in our list. This is vegan-friendly and the haggis itself is mostly made from soya, making it a great source of protein too. It's quite hard to find this veggie haggis, but we found it at ASDA. Learn more and buy it here - groceries.asda.com
Aberdeenshire Larder vegetarian haggis
We didn't have a photo of the product itself for this section, only for the finished thing as part of a meal. But we have to say, this vegetarian haggis from Aberdeenshire Larger was really good! It's only suitable for vegetarians as it's made with butter, but we really enjoyed the taste and the texture which was nice and smooth. Learn more and buy it here - aberdeenshirelarder.co.uk
Whether you're a vegetarian or vegan, we hope this guide helps you to find a delicious veggie haggis. Let us know if you find any others that we should check out!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.