Tempting as it is to imagine that Christmas is a long way off, you can, if you listen carefully, hear the sound of thundering reindeer hooves.
Before you know it, we will shortly be up to our oxters in Christmas card lists and annoyingly faulty tree lights.
Happily, there are ways to take the pain out of Christmas. And we don’t mean emigrating to a country where it isn’t celebrated.
Careful preparation is key and a visit to Foodies Festival Christmas should ensure that you can get most of your Christmas prepping done and dusted before December.
Taking place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Fri 12-Sun 14th November, the three day festival is a celebration of all things festive – especially food.
Over on the 5pm Big Deal page, we have some tasty offers on tickets for the event.
Snap ’em up and look forward to the following:
Top chef demos
Acclaimed chefs from across Scotland will swap their aprons for Santa hats in the Aga Rangemaster Chefs’ Theatre. The pan-rattlers will be sharing their favourite recipes and top tips to help visitors create the perfect Christmas banquet.
Retro Recipes in the Chefs’ Theatre will transport festival-goers back in time to the 1960s when green piped potato, glacé cherries and multi-coloured cheese and jellies were all the rage.
Inspired by infamous TV chef Fanny Cradock, several chefs will recreate classic recipes such as the prawn cocktail, baked Alaska, sherry trifle, chicken Kiev, vol-au-vents and duck a l’orange in their own signature style.
Artisan market
The Artisan Christmas Market boasts over 150 of Scotland’s finest producers selling locally produced cheeses, chutneys, chocolates, sauces and jams, biscuits and crackers, cakes, puddings and more – perfect for picking-up those little extras that make Christmas extra special.
A vegan area in the Christmas Market offers a range of delicious and healthy vegan, veggie and gluten-free treats.
Scottish Gin Theatre
Gin lovers will rejoice as Edinburgh gin producers, Daffy’s, Pickering’s and Edinburgh Gin, host daily Christmas gin cocktail master classes.
Wine experts Charles Metcalfe and Neil Philips are also on-hand helping visitors match wines with Christmas flavours in the Drinks Theatre
Beer expert Melissa Cole will be championing craft beers as an alternative to wine and Champagne in a series of master classes with local brewers.
Street Food Village
Other features of the festival include a Street Food Village where visitors can feast on flavours from around the world.
There will also be a Cake & Bake Theatre hosted by Scotland’s top bakers, chocolatiers and Great British Bake Off contestants.
Under twelves go free
When accompanied by an adult, children aged twelve and under enjoy free entry to the Foodies Festival Christmas. It’s a great family day out that won’t break the bank.
While parents shop and enjoy a chilled glass of bubbly from the Champagne Ski Bar, children under twelve can enrol in the Elf Cookery School with Kiddy Cook.