Beneath one of the Roving Haggis' most popular recipe videos is a comment section full of bemused non-Scots, eager to determine if the post is, in fact, a wind-up.
In their defence, ‘Rumbledethumps’ does sound more like a mythical woodland creature than a traditional dish from the Borders thats made with mashed potato, onion and cabbage.
Thankfully TikTok sensation and former MasterChef Australia contestant Ali Stoner has more than enough knowledge and expertise to set the record straight.
“I’d imagine a few people thought it was a comedy skit at first”, the Glasgow-born cook mused, “but as the video went on they realised it was an actual word.
“When you start to research Scottish food you realise just how, 'different' shall we say, some of the names really are.
“I’ve got a few belters lined up for this year.”
READ MORE: 'Hidden gem' wine bar to serve complimentary oysters and jamón ibérico - here's when
Before she would appear on season 14 of the Down Under’s version of Britain’s toughest cooking competition, Ms Stoner picked up the moniker of the Roving Haggis during her time spent working at a creative marketing agency in London.
“The nickname started because I had the accent and used to drive around a lot to meet with different clients.
“Not very creative for a bunch of creatives” she joked.
Even after moving to Australia with her husband and two daughters in 2011, the name stuck.
So much so, that it was used as the title of her Instagram account, although it would take longer still for it to become well known by a vast network of online foodies across the globe.
She explained: “Even though I’d had my Instagram for years and had been on the telly for MasterChef, I only had around 7000 followers so I knew there must be something I wasn’t doing right.
“A friend of mine had made the outfit that I wear in my videos for me on Burns Night, and with my marketing background, I started to think about ways in which I could develop a ‘brand’ for myself.
“At first, I just wanted to see if there was an appetite out there for traditional Scottish food with a twist but did feel a wee bit embarrassed and hoped they wouldn’t think I was just a wally in a saltire skirt.
“But it hit a soft spot with people and completely changed the demographic of my followers.
“The response has been really heartwarming.”
READ MORE: "The final verdict on first date dinners? Ban them forever"
Taking a chance by putting her heritage front and centre, Ms Stoner made use of a precious collection of family recipes for nostalgic childhood treats like tablet or treacle scones to launch a series of videos “exploring food and cocktails with a Scottish accent”.
More than just allowing her to connect with thousands of ex-pats and lovers of all things Scotland across the world, the account became a novel way to continue a culinary legacy.
“The whole reason I started posting recipes was because I had been considering making a family heirloom recipe book.
“Both of my kids were born in London and were brought up outside of Scotland and I thought it was important to revisit my mum and grandmother's recipes so they could experience a part of my past.
“I was brought up in the 70s and 80s when a lot of food wasn’t as easily accessible as it is today, so what I ate growing up is very different to what my kids did.
“Now I get beautiful messages from other countries sharing their own memories.
“People really loved the roll and fritter, for example, because they were reminded of when they were only 50p or when they would stop by the chippy after going to the swimming pool as a child.”
Just eight months since Ms Stoner first posted a video of her whipping up a roasted pumpkin soup in her now signature grey waistcoat and saltire skirt, her Instagram follower count has jumped to 116,000 with 75,000 on TikTok.
The Festive Rumbledethumps takes the most-watched top spot with a staggering three million views, while a close second is a step-by-step guide to tablet, using enough sugar to make your teeth ache just by looking.
And it’s not all strictly traditional fare, with the cook putting her MasterChef experience and years of kitchen experiments to good use by putting her own twist on recipes like Glasgow Fish Pakora or Skirlie Roast Potatoes.
“I’ve no idea what ‘giving it laldy is,” one TikTok user writes, “but I’ll certainly be giving this a go”.
READ MORE: 'Add a pinch of salt': American chemist shares 10 tips for the 'perfect' cup of tea
With many others calling for her to launch a Roving Haggis cookbook, Ms Stoner has said that landing a publishing deal this year would be a ‘dream come true’, although the rewards for her work go far beyond a chance of becoming an established author.
“I moved away from Scotland when I was 18 years old, but this whole experience has me missing it more than ever.
“No matter where you end up, you have a connection to the place and there's no getting rid of that.
“I really enjoy posting on social media, and the response I’ve had as well as seeing the enjoyment that they bring to people is hugely satisfying.
“Even if my accent isn’t as strong, I feel very Scottish in my heart and more so than ever since starting these videos.
“That’s very important to me.”
You can find Ms Stoner’s recipes and more on Instagram or TikTok @rovinghaggis.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel