With Christmas just around the corner, I’ve started a new series, Christmas Craze, to talk about all things Christmassy from recipes and days out to gift ideas. Keep your eyes peeled on this series in the next month for great ideas you can try this Christmas!
So, firstly, I thought I’d talk about the Christmas market in Winchester. Currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, the success of this market is clear so I headed over to check it out myself. My first piece of advice is to not go on a weekend. I went on a Saturday and it was packed and we spent more time queuing than we did actually look around! Of course, as Christmas gets closer the weekdays will be busy too but keep in mind the queues are horrendous.
The atmosphere is merry. Situated next to the famous Winchester Cathedral the backdrop to the market is beautiful. You can go inside the Cathedral too, for a fee, which is well worth doing. The smell of mulled wine and the sound of distant Christmas music fuse together to force you to relinquish your ‘it’s not Christmas yet’ beliefs and just embrace the spirit.
There are plenty of stalls. From gingerbread, scarves and decorations to honey, chilli sauce and art, there is a huge variety. Be warned, much of it can be classed as typically reproduced and perhaps not as unique as you might desire. I actually didn’t buy anything except for food (duh) so that might speak volumes as I love a good market. There are homemade goods though and different items that are bound to appeal to various personalities so it is a cute day out.
What I really want to rave about is the selection of food on offer. I queued for lunch at a French cheese/sausage specialising stall. An incredible baguette with sausage drowned in raclette cheese had my name on it and I was not disappointed at all. Definitely worth the wait! I also bought a cup of churros- Spanish doughnuts- which were nice but underwhelming in comparison to ones I’ve devoured elsewhere.
Winchester is a lovely place to visit, regardless of the market. I think if you want to feel festive and jolly it is a nice market to visit but the queues made it slightly unbearable and the lack of completely homemade goods was disappointing.
The Girl In The Window 