To think that most christmas markets are having us over

[sunintheeast]

Not bah humbug I love christmas but was at a nice christmas market today.. mostly food.. some makers stalls but my God the price hike.. bought two wraps which were no shred (haha) of a lie like those starters on a chinese resteraunt.. but a single wonton wrap with a teaspoon of meat and a bit of relish.. FOR £24 QUID. I stupidly paid before seeing it and then felt daft and said thankyou.. literally two bites each... the place was heaving.. is it just me??.. £7 hot chocolate anyone ?? looked around..its all gone insane. There were a couple of reindeer looking sad in a pen but it just felt like it's all gone a bit mad. I like supporting local but ,.. anyone else feel the same ??

Yes, the one I went to this weekend was the same. A lot of Temu stuff, 3D printed crap, and bags/coasters with AI generated art on. All cheap to knock out and sell for some profit.
I did buy a lovely little crocheted plant as a gift for someone. I do love the proper handmade things you can get at such events but they are far and few between now.

We went to Chester yesterday and it wasn't bad at all. Most stalls were selling locally made goods. Cardiff is similar if you avoid the sausage and beer stalls .

On the other hand Manchester and Bristol are fill of overpriced tat.

Not going to the Birmingham one again, so blumming expensive and so many stalls selling booze. Not useful if you don't drink. I got something to eat and drink from a little shop nearby.
Well if I happen to need to go to Brum for something else I'd have a esnder round but I'd never go just for the market
Now the one at Ely cathedral I'd go again. Have been a couple of times, the food was reasonably priced, and there were a lot of stalls with makers selling their stuff, not all there were some selling bought in stuff, but I've got a fair few lovely pressies from there

The "experience" of eating £15 loaded fries standing between a noisy generator and an overflowing commercial bin, in driving rain? Not one I'll repeat, thanks.

Totally agree. But you missed expensive in front of tat.

I did, once, go to the Ideal Home event at Olympia which was amazing. I bought a 6inch square Christmas cake which was so exquisite that nothing in a shed will ever hood to compare.

Not a specifically Christmas market but I visited Stratford upon Avon last month and was delighted with both the Saturday and Sunday markets… both very different but I actually bought some Christmas presents which I’ve never done from an actual Christmas market!

Ugh, I'm literally so sick of rip off Britain.

I feel like we're just treated like complete mugs, and I'd rather poke out my own eyeballs than pay some of the prices I see.

It doesn't help that I haven't had a payrise for 5 years, and am paid less as well. This isn't a grumble as such, because I'm just glad to have a job, my health, my family.

But the shops I've been in this year have been profoundly depressing. It feels like every year things look more threadbare and cheaply made. 😬

I feel like 10 or 15 or even 20 years ago, you'd see decent stuff for sale. Now most stuff for sale is simply tat.

The one near me they charge between £400- £800 plus VAT per day for a stall!

I came away with some delicious cider but it was £14 a bottle due to the apples being washed with unicorn tears or something. I love the market but it's mostly the same stalls every year, most of it is genuinely artisan stuff but it's SO expensive.

I think UK Christmas markets need a complete overhaul to be honest.

It seems like they're run by a select few organisations, and they're really shite.

We did Nottingham christmas market a few years ago, and DS really loved the rides, but there was nothing worth buying from any of the stalls.

Our town has a new and improved Christmas market or so they say, but I've not heard one good thing about it, it's just more congestion in the centre.

I'd love it if the stalls were actual hand made crafts from local small businesses and artists. It all seems to be the same rubbish sold at different markets though.

YANBU. I must be the only person who has been to Christmas markets in Germany and Austria as well as the UK and never bought so much as a bean.

It’s all tat.

I don't think you are 'supporting local' by using the Xmas market. None of those stalls are people that have local shops or businesses I don't think? Most of its just Temu shite tarted up or yeah, overpriced substandard food trucks.
I think they used to be better about 30 years ago.

I can think of nothing less Christmasy than a Christmas Market.

They are all identical with those naff little wooden huts selling Temu crap or food for 4x the price it would cost you at any other time of the year.

Has anyone posted a link yet to the Classics thread about running a xmas market in your back garden? I think of it every year at this time.

Ah, they have! I'll make myself a £7 Aldi hot chocolate and re-read it.

We are going to London this week to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I’m intrigued to see the Christmas markets, haven’t been to any since the early days of winter wonderland which we thought was a load of overpriced crap!

I hate crowds, eating outside in the cold and won’t eat standing up so I imagine we will have a 5 minute wander round before declaring it shit!

They can charge what they like. No one needs to buy it.

Blame the organisers for charging the stall holders extortionate pitch fees. I often sell at Christmas markets and have to be really selective on which ones I go to, as otherwise I run the huge risk of making losses due to the pitch fees.

For what it's worth, I charge the same for my handmade products at Christmas markets as I do on my online website.

I don't buy food or drinks at the markets I sell at because of the cost, but again, I understand it's because of the high pitch fees they have to pay!

I’ve no idea why, but assorted social media posters are blaming local councils for the prices. As if they had any control on them

The council here set the price of the stalls really high, so the stall holders have to bump up the prices to get their costs covered. That's why it is the council's fault.

Last year, I was at the big Bham German Market which is always heaving and I noticed that loads of the hot chocolate vendors had huge bags of Cadburys drinking chocolate powder which I never buy as it always makes a watery tasteless drink and they were charging approx £6-7 with toppings. Just put me off after that!

Of course they overcharge at these places it's why I never go 😂😂 it's no surprise!

Yanbu. Was shocked by the prices today in Worcester. However we bought nothing and enjoyed the atmosphere. The cathedral was stunning and well worth a visit.

Although really Cadbury's in Birmingham IS local chocolate 😂

I used to go about 15 years when I was in my early 20s and they were a novelty. These days I can’t think of many things that I’d like to do less than stand around outside, or sit in a freezing cold tent, in the middle of winter, with hoards of people, consuming mediocre and massively overpriced food and drink.

tbh I always love the idea of a Christmas market and never quite enjoy it how I hoped I would. I know I’m setting myself up for failure if I’m honest and try hard not to but this year you’re so right the price hike for less quality really peed me off. Paying £7 for a hot chocolate I’d expect milk in it or at the very least use a just add water hot chocolate >.<, also got a “roast dinner in a bap” and they were really proud to show off the bisto gravy and whatever the normal brand stuffing is which whatever fine but I’d hoped for the price to get a decent amount of meat but it was such a small serving. I remember getting these kinds of things and you had to eat it in a certain way to keep all the meat it. I get things are more expensive but it did make me feel a bit bah humbug 😅 especially since I decided on that over a bratwurst. Don’t get me started on barely being able to look at any stalls cuz you’re being shoved through like cattle XD. God I’m a miserable sod, thanks for giving me an outlet 😂. At least I had lovely company and plenty of spiced cider 😅

I saw the same at the back of stall..an industrial bag of chips being sold as artisan.. worse.. tiny tiny portions. If the ingredients are cheap at least serve bigger portions !