Taste of London Winter 2014

Mid-late November. TimeOut had sent an unexpected email: You have won tickets to the Taste of London Winter. Awesome! With just a few days’ notice, my first challenge was to find a suitable foodie partner in crime. Luckily, Juliet stepped up, so off we trotted eastwards to Tobacco Dock.

I’d never been to a large-scale food festival before, and our expectations were high. The website promised “the world’s greatest restaurant festival.” There would be famous chefs, including Michel Roux Jr, Monica Galetti and Raymond Blanc. Cocktail masterclasses. Taste Theatres. A bandstand. 

Friday came, the night our tastebuds had been waiting for. We arrived at the cavernous, festively decorated Victorian venue and, having deliberately refrained from eating much beforehand, immediately dived into the hot food samples. 

The venue - Tobacco Dock

Festive fairy lights

The evening continued in this walk and grab vein; we gobbled food and booze galore. I sipped a few glasses of Prosecco, Juliet savoured red wine. We tried fresh spinach juice—a tad too healthy; dairy-free oat milk—surprisingly milky; the world’s most expensive ham (pata negra)—yum. I entered a competition to win a holiday to Malaysia—didn’t win. 

Unusual menu options

There were cheese-making kits, hampers, chutneys. And, most importantly, an array of delicious cheese samples. 

Two cows on a Comté

My favourite cheese brand of the night was the Snowdonia Cheese Company Ltd. They were one of the most popular stalls, and after joining the scrum, I could appreciate why. About six different Cheddars were available for tasting; each morsel was creamy and rich and moreish. Having since checked their website, I’m not surprised that all 10 of their cheeses have won at least one award. 

We weren’t organised enough to book a place at any of the chef demonstrations, but it didn’t matter. We had a thoroughly decent time, knocking back alcohol and cheese like no-one’s business. If you ask me, a great way to spend a Friday night.

Of course, free samples weren’t enough for my stomach, so I ended the evening by polishing off a hearty chicken stew, followed by some delectable pumpkin doughnuts from trendy Peruvian restaurant Andina. Scrumptious. I hadn’t thought much of the food in Peru when I visited earlier this year, but after that triumph of a meal, I will think again. 

Taste of London will return to London next summer from 17 – 21 June in Regent’s Park. Hopefully I’ll win tickets to that too!