UK’S TASTE OF CHRISTMAS SHOW 4TH – 6TH DECEMBER, EXCEL CENTRE
Billed as the UK’s finest producers and suppliers under one roof at Taste of Christmas in association with Waitrose – 4th-6th December
Taste of Christmas, the wintertime version of Taste of London, is billed as the first truly Christmassy show of the season. It returns to ExCel from 4-6 December 2009, for three full days of indulgent eating, drinking and shopping.
The show is pitched at chefs, gourmets, wine experts, writers and food producers.
The names lined up to attend include of Heston Blumenthal, Richard Corrigan, Jeremy Lee, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Atul Kochhar and Antony Worrall Thompson.
Other focal points of the show include new features: Taste Wine, Taste Champagne, Taste Cheese, Taste Chocolate and Taste Beer. Masterclasses, tastings and opportunities to ‘meet the experts’ will be central to each feature.
Below is just a selection of some of the suppliers attending Taste of Christmas 2009.
Beer
Discover the dynamic brewers who are changing the face of beer in the UK, introducing it to a whole new audience. Rebellious young guns, Brewdog, will be pouring samples of their wickedly named microbrews like Trashy Blonde and Punk IPA, while Freedom will bring along their organic craft-brewed lagers. They’ll be up against established European names, Duvel and Kasteel Cru.
Meat
Allens of Mayfair, one of London’s oldest butchers, now supplier to pretty much every Michelin-starred restaurant in town, will be taking orders for its superb free-range meat for Christmas and selling all the traditional festive trimmings including its own line of chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce. Kelly Bronze Turkeys will be taking Christmas turkey orders while the Well Hung Meat Co and exotic meat suppliers Freedown Foods can provide all you need for a traditional or alternative Christmas feast.
Confectionery
The sweet-toothed will be catered for this year with sweets, candy and Christmas baking galore. Great ideas for stocking-fillers include gift boxes of colourful French macaroons from Bougie Macaron, nostalgic candy and pick ‘n’ mix from Picketts Classic Confectionery and gingerbread houses from the Village Workshop.
Cheese
Those wishing to serve a distinctively regional cheeseboard this Christmas will love Blacksticks Blue and traditional tasty Lancashire by Butler’s Farmhouse Cheeses up in Lancashire. Traditionalists wanting to purchase their annual truckle of Stilton or some classic mature Cheddar would do well to stop by to see the Truckle Cheese Company, while patriotic types looking for an alternative to French cheeses can try Alsop and Walker’s soft Somerset cheeses. Visitors can also visit the demonstration area.
Chocolate
Chocoholics can indulge in the most indulgent and extravagant truffles, pralines and chocolate bars from the witty and charming creations of Rococo, to the more traditionalist flavours favoured by classic English brand, Charbonnel & Walker, or the Fairtrade range from Green & Blacks. Visitors can also visit the demonstration area.
Wines & Spirits
The opportunity for a little seasonal decadence is one of the best things about Christmas. Taste of Christmas will be playing host to Taylor’s Port – the Christmas tipple par excellence – and a globetrotting roster of wine producers including California Wine, New Zealand Wines and Taste Argentina & Bodega Vinecol ‘Vinos Organicos’.
Tea and Coffee
Not just a time for indulgence, Christmas is also about the simple things in life, perfectly done. Jing Tea, one of the country’s most exclusive China tea experts, will have a range of exquisite, healthy green, pu-erh and white teas to try or buy as gifts; while Tea Pigs can supplement your tea collection with unusual rooibos, organic and herbal teas. Coffee fans can sample Nescafé Café Gusto – one of the quickest and most straightforward home coffee making methods around.
Ice Cream
However cold it is outside, it’s still hard to resist a scoop of delicious ice cream. The Italian ‘gelato’ tradition will be represented by Oddono’s and Il Gelato di Ariela while the UK’s newer farmhouse Jersey ice cream tradition is represented by Farmer Gosden and his amazing seasonal flavours – Christmas Pudding, Napoleon Brandy and Cream, Raspberry Pavlova and Whisky Cream.
Held the first weekend of Advent, the three-day festival represents a unique opportunity to stock up the pantry ahead of the Christmas rush. Guests can pre-order a turkey, replenish the cellar, pick out a truckle of Stilton and even buy their Christmas crackers. For added convenience, the ‘Shop & Drop’ service can store purchases while guests explore the show or have goodies delivered in time for the big day.
Taste of Christmas is sponsored this year by Waitrose (the title sponsors and sponsors of the cookery school and theatre), Philips (launching a new range of appliances exclusively at Taste of Christmas), AEG (home appliance suppliers and sponsors of the Taste Theatre), Peugeot, O2 and Kasteel Cru.
We are told that tickets for Taste of Christmas 2009 are selling fast and available for purchase at www.tasteofchristmas.com
Tickets cost from £19 in advance or £35 (to include £20 worth of crowns, the Taste currency). Also available is the Taste VIP ticket at £50, which includes fast track entry to the event, access to the VIP enclosure, complimentary glass of Laurent Perrier and £20 worth of crowns.
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