Review/Rave: The most fun for £30 in London
Waitrose Winter Food & Drink Festival, Tobacco Dock ★★★★★
The Waitrose Winter Food & Drink Festival?
Really? Is that a thing?
That’s what I thought when I was first asked whether I wanted to go to this event. Why on earth would I want to jostle my way around a Waitrose themed Christmas market, dodging eager beavers trying to sell me stuff?
However, my friend, assured me it was a hugely fun event, and “they’re really generous with the freebies!”.
Ok, I’m in!
The preamble
Which is how Mr.D and I came to be lining our stomachs at Il Bacino with five WaitroseFest Veterans at 4pm on a cold November Saturday.
We did think it a bit odd to be filling our boots before a ‘Food’ & Drink festival, but it soon became clear why this event should never be attempted on an empty stomach.
And so it begins
The event was at Tobacco Dock, London, which proved to be the perfect multi-space venue for a festive sip and nibble. The fast-moving zigzag queue at the entrance, gave it a Space Mountain vibe, helping to building the excitement… and soon enough we were in!
Armed with a tasting glass, a map and a canvas bag, we trailed after the Vets who had already set a course for our first Goody Bag collection point.
There were a total of four Goody Bag stations throughout, marked clearly on the ‘treasure’ map, which was stamped after each collection. Much more fun than Pokémon, and with no less incentive to ‘catch ’em all’.
At the Cosy Corner entrance, trays full of Bendicks bitter mints were being proffered (and happily accepted), we were off to a great start.
A few of us stopped off at the London Essence stand en route to get our first snifter. They were offering a choice of three cocktails, so I happily kicked things off with a Peach & Jasmine Prosecco. Thank you muchly!
From there we headed over to the Spirits Lounge, via the Food Court. Expertly bagging some well-wrapped pigs while dodging the vegan cheese.
When a Salesman meets a Showman
By the time we reached the Spirits Lounge I was engaged in a side bet with Vet2 for who could snaffle the most Bendicks mints. If only I could stop eating them, I might be in with a chance.
We stopped for a breather at the Pink Pepper Gin stand and were treated to more samples and a ‘tasting tour’. Vet1 knew the lovely man running the stand and was left ‘minding the shop’ when he popped out for a comfort break!
This was too good an opportunity for Mr.D to miss, and he immediately went into full ‘The Apprentice’ mode and started recruiting punters from the crowd to enjoy a Pink Pepper Gin tasting journey, hoping to land Vet1 in the soup!
Not a bit of it!
Vet1, went into full Bruce Forsyth “alright my loves” mode and in no time was dishing out the samples accompanied by a very competent tasting narrative.
Astoundingly including, but by no means limited to, the Cardamom, Vanilla and Tonka beans! What a pro!
Giggling, we scuttled off to the Aperol stand to cleanse our palettes.
Champagne O’Clock
Several miniature gins, the odd rum and a pre-mixed piña colada later, we headed to the Champagne Bar for a nosey, and were delighted to find a very relaxing room with cosy tables and chairs to take the load off1. And yes, you guessed it, free champagne tasters courtesy of Piper-Heidsieck!
Tickety-tick-tick.
Refreshed and ready for more, we headed towards the Wine Vaults… but were totally distracted by Beer & Cider Hall 3, which tempted us in with live music and Camden Hells, my fave.
We stopped off there for a couple of beers and lovely chat with the Mahou and Camden Town bar staff who were equally generous with the freebies. Result!
On with the quest for the Wine Vault… which by this point was proving trickier to find than Mordor… we eventually slalom into the largest of the three rooms and were immediately overwhelmed by the plethora of vineyards represented.
A fine ‘first world problem’ to have, if ever there was one.
After a full three second dither, we opt for the McGuigan stand, based on the fact that some years ago Mr.D and his Dad had a very pleasant afternoon’s wine tasting at their vineyard in Australia.
And what a great choice it turned out to be!
There was only one other person at the stand at this point, a woman in her very early 50’s, who had already befriended the barman, and so was knocking back the Sauvignon with aplomb.
Imagine Mr.D’s further delight upon discovering she was an orthopedic surgeon! Finally someone who wouldn’t be bored rigid talking about his ten recently broken bones! What luck! Christmas had indeed come early, thank you Waitrose!
Much chitter-chatter later and the Surgeon and I had became instant BFF’s and started high-fiving everything:
I like Sauvignon too!
» SMACK!!! «
I love a lunch!
» SMACK!!! «
I haven’t had any work done either!
» SMACK!!! «
Clearly separated at birth, we exchanged numbers and threatened to meet up for a lovely long lunch some time soon.
Meanwhile the stand manager was starting to pack up, at which point we realised the four hour session was almost at an end. Unbelievable.
I must admit going in at just after 5pm, I was fully confident that by about 7:30pm we’d be shuffling off, but not a bit of it. Plenty to see and sample, and we hadn’t even attended one of the many masterclasses, made a wreath, played mini golf or finished and filled a macaron gift set, which were also on offer.
To summarise, at £30 a ticket, I think you’d be hard pushed to find better value in the run-up to Christmas in central London. No wonder the event sells out every year!
So why am I telling you?
Think of it as my ‘early adopters’ gift to you. We are currently a very small intimate group, and so by my calculations, even if we all put a note in our diaries for next year to book tickets, there will still be plenty to go around.
Just don’t tell the newbies.
You’re welcome.
K8x
PS: Full details of Waitrose Festivals here.
The heavily laden canvas goody bag was really biting into my shoulder by this stage… and I was looking to offload that 0% Guinness that I accidentally picked up.
Well now I need a neon “pigs in blankets here” sign to go above my bed