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Eat My Words: We tried food and drink from every stall at the Bavarian food village inside Rochester’s Christmas Market

05:00, 01 December 2022

updated: 14:18, 01 December 2022

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If you’ve scrolled through TikTok recently, there’s no doubt you will have seen influencers visiting London food markets to film themselves sampling as much mouth-watering food as possible.

I must admit, these videos have very nearly tempted me into following in their footsteps and visiting myself - but, luckily, I don’t need to head into London to do so.

We tried all the food stalls in the Bavarian Village at this year's Rochester Christmas Market. All pictures: Sam Lawrie
We tried all the food stalls in the Bavarian Village at this year's Rochester Christmas Market. All pictures: Sam Lawrie

The Rochester Christmas Market opened on Saturday, and will be open on weekends until Sunday, December 11, with its very own Bavarian food village. So, inspired by the TikTok trend, I decided to go along and try something from every single stall at the market.

I took a group of meat-eaters, vegetarians and sweet-toothed teenagers along with me, knowing I’d never manage it alone. Our plan to tackle the several stalls in the Bavarian village was divide and conquer - you need a strategy for these things, you see.

The pop-up Bavarian Village is the main food hub at the market
The pop-up Bavarian Village is the main food hub at the market

It was the market’s opening day, so thankfully the crowds were manageable and we didn’t have to queue at any of the stalls for too long, meaning we could crack straight on with our culinary adventure.

The first item sampled was a hog roast baguette from the Hog Shed. This soft baguette, filled with pork, stuffing and apple sauce, was a warming, wintery meal. And, for £8, it was £2.50 cheaper than the one on offer at London’s Winter Wonderland - another reason to stay closer to home!

The hog roast baguette with apple sauce and stuffing seemed a popular choice among visitors
The hog roast baguette with apple sauce and stuffing seemed a popular choice among visitors
The kids were more than happy with their German hot dogs
The kids were more than happy with their German hot dogs

At the same time, the teenagers got themselves a Bratwurst hot dog from the German Charcoal BBQ. I managed to hold them off for long enough to snap a photo but, within seconds, the hot dogs had been wolfed down to rave reviews.

This traditional festive fare was to be expected but, among the roasted pork and German sausages, the question was whether they would have anything for the veggies.

Thankfully there were a couple of interesting options to choose from.

We shared a meat-free schnitzel plate from Street Kitchen, which consisted of plant-based breaded ‘chicken’, sauerkraut, red cabbage and chips with gravy (£10) and a beetroot, pepper and quinoa burger from Mean Burger (£8.50).

It was a pleasant surprise to have some unusual vegetarian options at the market
It was a pleasant surprise to have some unusual vegetarian options at the market
The Mean Burger veggie option was made of flavoursome beetroot, peppers and quinoa
The Mean Burger veggie option was made of flavoursome beetroot, peppers and quinoa

Both dishes could have done with being a little hotter, especially being on the pricier side, but they tasted great and it was a pleasant surprise to have options other than chips, chips or… chips.

We succeeded in grabbing a bite from all of the savoury stands, which meant only one thing: it was time for dessert.

The teens had been begging for a waffle from the moment we set foot in the market and they spotted the ‘Hot Waffles and Ice Cream’ sign, so that was a given.

We needed a few extra napkins to tackle the waffle with cream and chocolate
We needed a few extra napkins to tackle the waffle with cream and chocolate

Along with the waffle, which was piled high with whipped cream and lashings of chocolate, we chose a lemon and sugar pancake from Crêpes and Coffee and a hot chocolate - with a splash of Baileys for the festive season, of course.

The waffle was given high praise and the crêpe was simple but delicious.

The crêpe stands had lots of toppings on offer, but we went for the classic lemon and sugar
The crêpe stands had lots of toppings on offer, but we went for the classic lemon and sugar

The hot chocolate, however, was a disappointment. I’d been looking forward to a lovely, warm festive treat on this chilly Saturday afternoon, but the chocolate hadn’t been stirred in whatsoever. It ended up more like a shot of Baileys with lumps of cocoa powder.

The final two stands left to try were the Festival Bar and the Mulled Wine Bar - well, it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it?

A photo taken before I realised that most of the cocoa powder hadn't been stirred into the hot chocolate drink...
A photo taken before I realised that most of the cocoa powder hadn't been stirred into the hot chocolate drink...

We selected a pint of Palaner beer, a German lager recommended by the bar staff, and a cup of hot cider to wash down the copious amounts of food.

The beer went down a treat, so I’m told, and the hot cider was sharp and refreshing with a zingy citrus hit.

We were all so full that we rolled, rather than walked, around the market itself, hoping the food would go down as we picked up stocking fillers and cooed over cute Christmas trinkets.

If you’re thinking of visiting the Rochester Christmas Market this festive season and make time to stop for lunch in the Bavarian village, one thing’s for sure: you certainly won’t go hungry.

The market was fairly busy on opening weekend but not unmanageable - and I expect it will get busier as we approach Christmas
The market was fairly busy on opening weekend but not unmanageable - and I expect it will get busier as we approach Christmas

Out of five:

Food: Lots of choices that catered to everyone and no-one had any real complaints about their dishes ****

Drink: The bars had decent drinks, but the hot chocolate was a bit of a let down ***

Decor: Rochester Christmas Market is known for its festive atmosphere, right down to the fake snow and Bavarian wooden tables, and the view of the castle gives it that extra special touch ****

Staff: We didn’t really have anything to say about the servers - they were all polite enough, but none of them made much of an impact ***

Price: We spent around £15 per person in a group of six and got a main dish each, while also sharing two desserts and three drinks, so not bad - although, as always, it adds up quickly if you want to try a bit of everything or are buying lots of treats for the kids ***

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