If you're going to gorge at any point during the year, Christmas is the time to do it. If you can't indulge then, when can you?
So, if you're a gourmand who loves gourmet food, you'll be pleased to know that just prior to Christmas, ExCel London are hosting a show just for foodies.
Taste of Christmas may well be one of the reasons you wake up on the first day of 2011 with a New Year's resolution to "eat less", but so be it. This show has so much for foodies that I'm drooling all over the keyboard just thinking about it.
The event includes
Taste Chocolate, a coming together some of the industry's most respected artisan chocolatiers: Rococo Chocolates, Casemir Chocolates, Auberge Du Chocolat, Chocaid, Galler Chocolates, Danucci, and Baruzzo, and Paul Wayne Gregory will all be in attendance, offering tastings and workshops, as well as lots of goodies to purchase for enjoyment in the comfort of your own home.
And there will be wine! Europe's best suppliers, producers, and sommeliers will be in the
Taste Wine section dishing out advice on all things
vino, while Tasting Tables give you the chance to try a variety of wines, focusing on less famous types but no less tasty than your better known favourites. Enter the Boutique Wine Market if you're looking to stock up your cellar (or wine rack).
Taste Cheese will be offering tastings and masterclasses, and there'll be experts on hand dispensing advice on how to put together the ideal platter.
Coffee lovers will be drawn towards
Taste Coffee, featuring masterclasses for the expert and novice alike. Learn about the dizzying array of available coffees and their various flavours, and how to make the perfect brew.
One of the event's big draws is the presence of some top chefs, including Heston Blumenthal, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Antony Worrall Thompson and Jun Tanaka. Each chef will be giving presentations, talking about their own techniques and inspiring you (hopefully) to do great things in your own kitchen.
And if all that isn't enough – 12 London restaurants will be present (including The Modern Pantry, Acorn House and Gascony), offering magical dining experiences that'll leave your tummy pleading for more.
It's a safe bet that Taste of Christmas will get your gastronomic juices flowing and your salivary glands churning. Best attended on an empty stomach!
