There's a very good reason Santa is always depicted as a little on the large side. One of the most important contributors to the Christmas feeling is food and drink, whether it's the smell of chocolate, the warmth of a freshly-baked mince pie or the distinctive brandy fumes rising from your auntie. But of course, Christmas is about quality as well as quantity, and if there's one place youet that in bucketfuls, it's at
Taste of Christmas.
For one weekend from the 4th to the 6th of December, the ExCeL centre in the Royal Docks plays host to restaurants like L'Anima, Bentley's and The Modern Pantry, each serving a special Christmas menu. Dishes on offer range from a classic stew to Japanese Beef Roll to Wild Boar Vindaloo, so you might just get a few unusual ideas for your own Christmas dinner.
There's plenty of spectacle too, though. At the Taste Theatre, celebrity chefs take to the stage to inform and entertain, with contributors including Jean-Christophe Novelli and Heston Blumenthal. The Waitrose Cookery School and the Robust Kitchen, meanwhile, offer food tips just as delicious and perhaps a bit more practical. And of course, a food show wouldn't be a food show without tastings, here including wine, beer, chocolate and cheese.
After all that you might feel like you won't need to eat again all Christmas, but just in case, there are over 150 exhibitors selling fine foods and the equipment to cook it with. There's only one downside: after all this, there's no excuse if you burn the roast potatoes.
Standard adult tickets are £19 in advance and £22 on the door. Food at the restaurants is paid for in 'Crowns', which can be bought in £10 batches (2 crowns per pound); the Premium ticket includes £20 of crowns at a slightly reduced price. VIP tickets, including priority entry and complimentary champagne, are available at £50.
