Turkey, chocolate and booze, the true meaning of Christmas. This and more is on show at Taste of Christmas show at ExCel which was opened today by Jamie Oliver and runs through till Sunday. The event boasts 250 market stalls with a full range of Christmas food and related items. This event will be enjoyed by lovers of sweet treats especially and there's a host of cakes and chocolate stands ranging from the average to the very impressive. Cheese too is well represented while Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without substantial space given over to wine, champagne and whisky. But while there are some turkey information stands and others selling preserved meats like hams, there's less space given over to meat products, most likely as dead animals in ExCel probably breach a hundred health and safety rules (so don't expect to be heading home with a pheasant under your arm).
What is most impressive however is the line up of chefs that you'll have access to at the show. There's cook-alongs, demonstrations and Q&A, and chefs participating include the great names of food in the UK such as Simon Rogan, Simon Hulstone, Sat Bains, Tom Kitchin, Michel Roux Jnr, Bruno Loubet and quite a few more. Even on the Friday, which we assume will be substantially less busy than the weekend, the events were extremely popular so if you do attend this weekend, you might want to plan your time accordingly and note that some events have limited places available.
And there's of course some eating to be done with Jamie Oliver's food well represented (naturally), Lima, Comptoir Gascon, Salt Yard, Hix and Cinnamon Soho. Currency within the event to buy food is, like the Taste of London festival, 'Crowns' though outside of the 'restaurant' bits, most stalls are charging in good old fashioned pounds.
With entry priced at £18.50, this is not a cheap event by any stretch, though getting to cook-along with the likes of Sat Bains will certainly justify the price for some. There's often samples to be had on the market stalls but not enough to stop you getting hungry, yet despite the festival name, you're not overwhelmed with options for a proper feed. There's an official 'Taste of Christmas Restaurant' though we didn't try it so can't comment on the quality.
Being in the mighty ExCel, it can never feel cosy like a proper Christmas market, but there's a lot of amusing things on display (including one stand dedicated to hangover cures) and if you're preparing a Christmas feast or just looking for presents for your foodie friends, you'll likely find something here that will take your interest.
Full details can be found at the website: Taste of Christmas
Disclosure: we attended the press launch
What is most impressive however is the line up of chefs that you'll have access to at the show. There's cook-alongs, demonstrations and Q&A, and chefs participating include the great names of food in the UK such as Simon Rogan, Simon Hulstone, Sat Bains, Tom Kitchin, Michel Roux Jnr, Bruno Loubet and quite a few more. Even on the Friday, which we assume will be substantially less busy than the weekend, the events were extremely popular so if you do attend this weekend, you might want to plan your time accordingly and note that some events have limited places available.
And there's of course some eating to be done with Jamie Oliver's food well represented (naturally), Lima, Comptoir Gascon, Salt Yard, Hix and Cinnamon Soho. Currency within the event to buy food is, like the Taste of London festival, 'Crowns' though outside of the 'restaurant' bits, most stalls are charging in good old fashioned pounds.
With entry priced at £18.50, this is not a cheap event by any stretch, though getting to cook-along with the likes of Sat Bains will certainly justify the price for some. There's often samples to be had on the market stalls but not enough to stop you getting hungry, yet despite the festival name, you're not overwhelmed with options for a proper feed. There's an official 'Taste of Christmas Restaurant' though we didn't try it so can't comment on the quality.
Being in the mighty ExCel, it can never feel cosy like a proper Christmas market, but there's a lot of amusing things on display (including one stand dedicated to hangover cures) and if you're preparing a Christmas feast or just looking for presents for your foodie friends, you'll likely find something here that will take your interest.
Full details can be found at the website: Taste of Christmas
Disclosure: we attended the press launch