5kg of haggis, mispronunciations and pizza: A ‘weird and wonderful’ Burns Night at Last Supper

Briant Clark and Monica Bugno said this will be their first time hosting the treasured Scottish tradition but while there might be a few mispronunciations, it will not be lacking in fun.

Husband-and-wife duo Monica Bugno and Briant Clark, co-owners of The Last Supper Pizzarella are hosting a Burns Night. Picture: Taylor Mason.

When Last Supper’s Briant Clark attended his first Burns Night in January this year decked out in a $20 Temu kilt, he enjoyed tapping into his Scottish roots.

Egged on by some Scottish friends, Briant and his wife Monica Bugno decided to take the plunge and organise their own celebration at the Last Supper Pizzarella on Sunday July 27.

“This is our first Burns Night so we’ve called it a Minor Burns Night,” said Briant.

“Because we’re not quite sure what we’re doing with it.

“But it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

“I’m having fun just preparing for it.

Briant Clark in his kilt ready for Minor Burns Night. Picture: Last Supper

“It’s interesting when you look back and embrace your heritage and go, ‘Hey, this is actually a really interesting character I never knew a lot about’.”

Burns Night is an event held each year in Scotland which honours the life and work of beloved Scottish poet Robert Burns who Briant described as a bit of a “rock star” of his time.

It usually features whiskey, Burns’ poetry, music, dancing and haggis, neeps and tatties and is held on January 25, the date of the poet’s birth.

So why is this one being held in July?

The Minor Burns Night will be held at the Last Supper Pizzeria in Darwin's Air Raid Arcade. Picture: Annabel Bowles

Briant explained, that after a bit of research, he saw that Robert Burns’s friends held the first few nights in the 1700s on the anniversary of Burn’s death in July.

“So I thought, okay, we might aim for one round there,” he said.

“That was why we chose the date in the middle of the year.”

Minor Burns Night: Expect theatrics, A LOT of haggis and pizza

The event will be filled with the usual traditions including a piper, a dram of whiskey and a bit of the Highland Sword Dance with a “modern” twist.

And of course, there will be the traditional “Address to the Haggis”.

The tradition originates from a dinner where Robert Burns wrote a poem about the Scottish dish which is a savoury pudding made using sheep lungs, heart and liver and encased in a sheep stomach.

Haggis is a savoury pudding and a traditional dish in Scotland. Sourced: david_larder

To carry out the address, Briant has been practising while getting pronunciation pointers from his Scottish dad.

“There will be some mispronunciations,” said Briant.

“But I think I’m going to be pretty well onto it.

“I’m quite excited about doing the address

“I’m doing it so it’s going to be very theatrical.

“I’m also going to have an English translation so people understand.”

Usually served with turnips and potatoes, called neeps and tatties, Briant and Monica are working in their own speciality and serving it on pizza which they are taste testing ahead of Sunday.

Monica Bugno and Briant Clark at the 2025 NT News Woman of the Year Awards. Photo: Georgia Politis

Having ordered 5kg of haggis from Fannie Bay Gourmet Meats, Monica said they will not be lacking in the traditional food.

“There might be haggis pizza happening at the Last Supper for the next few months,” she said.

The event has attracted Scots and Burns Night newcomers alike who like the sound of the “weird and wonderful” event.

In honour of the celebration, Briant said he has updated his Temu kilt for a woollen one made in his Grandad’s Gordon Highlanders Regiment tartan.

“I’m happy with this one because it’s got a bit of meaning,” he said.

To find out more about the Minor Burns Night on Sunday, July 27 at Last Supper or to book tickets, click here.

Originally published as 5kg of haggis, mispronunciations and pizza: A ‘weird and wonderful’ Burns Night at Last Supper