A prominent Scottish butcher has launched a campaign urging the United States to legalise haggis, as Scotland prepares to send fans to the 2026 World Cup. US federal regulations have effectively banned the traditional dish since 1971 due to its inclusion of sheep lungs.
Simon Howie Butchers, based in Perthshire, is spearheading a petition to "make haggis legal again". The initiative is fronted by Scottish broadcaster Gordon Smart. Fans travelling to the US are being supplied with flags reading "no haggis, no party".
Simon Howie said: "Scotland football fans are widely recognised as the best in the world and they are about to make the trip of a lifetime, but they’ll be doing it without access to their national dish. With such warmth and long-standing affinity between Americans and Scots, we’re appealing to the USA to embrace this delicious delicacy."
Smart added: "For Scotland fans, summer 2026 is going to be a trip we’ll never forget. We’ll have the flags, the songs and the scarves, and if this petition has anything to do with it, we’ll have the haggis too. Because after all, if there’s no haggis, there’s no party."
Scotland qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 with a dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark in November. Manager Steve Clarke praised the Tartan Army for their behaviour during that match, contrasting it with recent pitch invasions at domestic games.
