On a dreary November Saturday at 10.30am, I find myself observing a woman wielding an industrial-sized spray bottle. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s filled with bleach or disinfectant. Is she sanitising tables at a café? Far from it!
The bottle is brimming with lemon juice, and she’s liberally spritzing it onto a sizzling crepe a crepe destined for me.
I’m stationed at the Piccadilly Gardens hub on the inaugural Saturday of Manchester’s 2024 Christmas Markets, equipped with a fresh £20 note to gauge how far it will stretch in the notoriously expensive realm of log cabins and gluhwein.
In 2024, a sausage will set you back around £9.50. Fancy a traditional pint of German beer to wash it down? That’ll be roughly £14.
Stall operators have defended these price hikes, attributing them to yet another year of rent increases. Manchester Council has also jumped to their defence, citing the substantial costs associated with infrastructure and security for one of the UK’s most beloved Christmas events.
That being said, the ‘Winter Gardens’ boasts an undeniably impressive food selection, offering everything from Brazilian to Greek to French cuisine. There’s also a plethora of bars and dessert options.
The only thing noticeably absent was a decent cup of coffee.
I may have overlooked it, but I didn’t spot any stalls in Piccadilly Gardens offering even a basic latte or cappuccino. This seemed like a missed opportunity, given that the markets are open from 10am throughout the week, and not everyone will fancy a mulled wine or a rich hot chocolate during their work break.
A stall selling festive coffee, I reckoned, would have been bustling with customers. Perhaps the organisers didn’t deem it necessary as there are four or five coffee chains within a stone’s throw of the market; as it happened, I opted for a flat white from the Costa machine in Morrisons.
Since I was planning to spend the entire day at the markets, I decided to grab breakfast there and what better way to kick off the day than with a crepe? It’s a staple for the French.
My usual filling would be Nutella, but it was far too early for such rich, sweet chocolate, so I chose another breakfast classic: a lemon and sugar crepe, reasonably priced (for the markets) at £5.
Ever since my childhood visits to the markets, I’ve always enjoyed watching the chefs prepare these: the parchment-coloured batter on the scorching hot griddle, skilfully transformed into a crepe with the use of metal spreaders.
However, upon tasting it, I quickly realised that my choice of filling was a bit of a letdown. Despite the crepe being fluffy, crisp and sweet, it was disappointingly dry.
Regardless of the amount of lemon juice sprayed on by the chef, as I delved deeper into the crepe, it lacked any significant flavour.
The second half of the crepe was a slight improvement, offering a sweet and tangy taste. But next time, I reckon I’ll shell out an extra quid for a more satisfying filling.
Afterwards, I strolled down King Street, circled St Ann’s Square and headed over to Exchange Square, which was quickly filling up with customers as lunchtime neared.
There are about ten food stalls to pick from here, but the standout is undoubtedly Porky Pig, renowned for their famous Yorkshire Pudding wrap.
Their footlong battered pig-in-blanket has made them a hit this year, but they also offer a variety of carvery boxes and roast trimmings. Seeing the substantial queue forming halfway towards the Printworks, I decided to join in.
Being at Porky Pig during Saturday lunchtime feels akin to what I imagine the London Stock Exchange used to be like: people jostling for position, holding onto slips of paper (receipts) and shouting (order) numbers at each other.
The staff were bustling behind the bar, darting up and down the buffet line, carrying Yorkshire puddings as big as dinner plates which they then piled high with a variety of tasty treats. The service was impressively quick I had my food in hand within about four minutes of ordering.
I chose the veggie Yorkshire pudding wrap, which offered all the usual roast trimmings along with some vegetable sausages for £9.50. The Yorkshire pudding itself was spot on, crunchy on the outside but wonderfully soft and fluffy on the inside, ideal for soaking up the generous amount of gravy.
Alongside the veggie sausages (I do wish they were faux meat like Richmond Meat Free, but it’s a minor complaint) there was a creamy and flavourful herby stuffing, steamed veg, scalloped potatoes and a delicious gravy tying it all together.
It’s worth noting that the wrap itself was massive and extremely satisfying more than enough for a main lunch or dinner on its own, so much so that I didn’t have the energy to try any more of the food there. Not even the giant chunks of Toblerone or cheese-stuffed coins could tempt me at this stage.
There’s a plethora of food I’m yet to sample: bratwurst (there’s a vegan option), Yard and Coop’s battered oyster mushrooms, the Manc Poutine (chips, cheese and gravy), Hip Hop Chip Shop’s battered sprouts, and A Taste of Austria’s garlic sauce mushrooms. And there’s plenty of time to try them all, as the markets will be open until December 22.
After a long day (15,000 steps in), I decided to indulge in one more festive treat that wouldn’t weigh me down too much. A hot chocolate is a Christmas essential: it sets the mood without emptying your wallet.
I opted for a £4.50 ‘luxury’ hot chocolate at the churros stand in Piccadilly Gardens. Including the cost of the festive mug, it set me back £8, but I returned it immediately for my £3.50 refund, which was back in my account the next morning.
The drink was crowned with a snowy pile of whipped cream, dotted with marshmallows and a flake on top for good measure. All very delightful.
The only issue was that, once you’d navigated through the toppings, all that remained was a standard instant hot chocolate and only about half a mug of it.
Had I not been working, I might have opted for one spiked with Baileys or Amaretto, which could have added a bit of excitement. Or perhaps I should have done more research, and chosen one of the many places advertising cocoa made with Ghiardelli or real chocolate.
The bustling Christmas markets can be a bit overwhelming. With over 20 stalls selling hot chocolate, it’s a tough choice to make and you only find out if it was the right one after you’ve made your purchase.
It’s common knowledge that prices at Christmas markets are usually inflated. However, I believe that £19 for a main course, dessert and a drink is quite reasonable, and on par with what you’d pay elsewhere in the city.
That being said, my experience was a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re planning a visit, I’d suggest checking out the list of stalls beforehand and referring to our handy guide for the best picks.
Otherwise, amidst the hustle and bustle, the smoke from the bratwurst grill and the aroma of mulled wine, the sheer variety can be quite overwhelming.
