Dann and I have previously visited a bunch of traditional German markets in Austria, which was such an amazing, fantastic experience. But, before we had gone to Austria, Dann loves going to the Meadow Croft German Market right here in Essex. We always go, every year without fail, and have previously taken Amelia but haven’t gone as a whole family. This year, we went along to change that.
The Meadow Croft German Market is actually in the Meadow Croft Garden Centre, as one of the ways the transform the space around Christmastime. From October onwards (perfect for Octoberfest) you can go along and see all of the Christmas-y things, try German beer, and more. We went along for a bit of a snack, to look at the traditional German market stalls, and to see Curling, which is new for this year, so we just watched as people played and decided we weren’t up for trying ourselves.
In October, when you purchase a beer, you can add on a free commemorative mug. There are a handful of different beers that you can try, each with their own flavor notes, which is interesting. We also got some of the German sausages, which were fantastic, and everyone tried the curry ketchup. Amelia and Robin very much loved the curry ketchup – I fear it might become a staple in our house by Christmas.
Along with the food aspect of the Meadow Croft German Market, there are over 30 stalls that are filled with traditional German trinkets and holiday gifts. We do normally pick up a few things for our friends; Dann grabbed some fancy Stollen bites and we noted down some of the treats that we’d like to get our friends closer to Christmas. They have the little marzipan fruits, nougat, Pinocchio-themed toys. We also saw some puppets, alcohol, and lots of little decorations and trinkets. They have a giant model village set up as well, which is stunning!
Along with trying some of the more traditional German food, we also tried German chocolate kisses (Schokoküsse), which are little fluffy marshmallow-like meringues, often flavored, covered in chocolate on a thin waffle. Everyone picked their own flavor, which was a fantastic idea, and then we all shared. These were so good and one very much to try. Then, we excited through the garden centre proper, where they also have a bunch of Christmas gifts, items, and decorations that you can purchase. This makes for a great start at Christmas shopping or as a fun little place to grab a seasonal bite to eat.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!