Food in Winter Wonderland vs. Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival 2012

Christmas is the best season for London foodies! The biggest annual Christmas market Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park that has opened for public on 23^rd of November, alongside with the opening of Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival opened on the 14^th of December aside Thames River, are brimming with fantastically festive food and drink. Walking in the cold, the bustling markets offer a wide range of hot drinks to warm your hands as Winter Wonderland is have all the drink stalls around mainly selling Apfelwein (hot mulled apple wine) and Glühwein (hot mulled red wine), whilst Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival are more focus on selling all kind of hot chocolate (the milky hot white chocolate taste noticeably heavenly). Both the Winter Wonderland and Southbank winter festival are putting on a European food extravaganza as it offers a wide range of food diversity that makes it a European food festival where you can taste staples from countries around Europe notably Germany and France.

It wouldn’t be much of a caravel if there was no aromas of all kinds of grilled meat filling the air would it? So if you take a walk into the food markets you can find a lot of German grill meat stalls where you can order any kind of barbecue meat and wrust; or candy stalls full of gummies (which is originated from Germany). Anyhow a caravel is best for cultural food exchange. “Although it is very chilly out here, it is totally worth to promote the most representative food from my country.” says a currywrust food retailer in Winter Wonderland.  Beside Germen food, there are also Dutch food like pancakes and French delights such as churros and crepes at every corner.

So which one should be more satisfying to foodies? This year must go for Southbank centre’s winter market as it is more food-centric since the Real Food Market has returned right on the side of the winter festival, overtaking the carnival-centric Winter Wonderland. Above the European essential festival foods alluded above, this year, Southbank centre is putting on an international food battle all the way from Mediterranean chutney and Spainsh paella to African curry and Mexican burrito. Whatever your age and however food you love, both Winter Wonder and Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival are befitting everyone from the world for a revelry experience of massive Christmas festival that only London can manage to host.

Winter Wonderland – 3 NOV 2012 – 6 JAN 2013 10am-10pm, Hyde Park London W2 2UH

Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival – 16 NOV 2012 – 7 JAN 201, Southbank Centre Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX

By Jennifer Chan