A SCOTS butcher is offering customers Christmas dinner with a difference – in the form of an Irn-Bru-basted turkey.
The family-run firm in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, have added fizz to the festive season by glazing birds with Scotland’s other national drink.
And WJ Lewis are making their turkeys orange on the inside too with a unique beef, sage and Irn-Bru stuffing.
Butcher Kenneth McAllister said: “It’s nice to have the traditional turkey at Christmas but people get a bit bored with it and often ask me for some different ideas on how to make the bird really tasty.
“The Irn-Bru twist gives the meat a nice glaze and a distinctive but subtle flavour. It’s proving really popular.”
The glaze for Kenneth’s recipe can be made by mixing six tablespoons of Irn-Bru, five tablespoons of syrup and three teaspoons of flour.
After melting the syrup on the turkey and leaving it to cool, the Irn-Bru bird is ready to go.
But Kenneth’s customers gave a mixed reaction to the bright orange bird.
A local mother of two, Caren, said: “Not sure I’ll be doing it this year but it’s actually pretty tasty.”
Another customer, Sarah, 46 said: “It certainly gives the turkey something different, and sounds like it’s easy to do. I might try it out.”
But others were less enthusiastic. Greg, 22, said: “I think I’ll just stick to drinking Bru.”
Kenneth’s previous creation, Irn-Bru and sweet chilli sausages, proved so popular he passed on his recipe to other butchers in Scotland.
The recipe and point of sale material was sent to 450 craft butcher shops around Scotland so others could enjoy the brightorange snack.
An Irn-Bru spokeswoman said: “It’s a phenomenal twist on a festive favourite and surely the ultimate Scottish take on turkey.”
