Bah Humbug

gayleygoo

DH went and said it was rubbish. £5 for a burger or hot dog (calling it a frankfurter means it makes more money than calling "sausage in a bap"), and £5 for one drink. He also said it was so crowded he felt ill and it seemed to be a one-way system so once he passed a stall he couldn't go back to it!

I love the craft traders, but last year I didn't see many. Craftspeople do not necessarily make a lot of money, particularly if business costs are high or lots of time is invested in a product, so no wonder there are so few. I bet the rent is high for those stalls!

chunter

Nutt's Corner in Belfast?

duggan1

gayleygoo wrote: »

DH went and said it was rubbish. £5 for a burger or hot dog (calling it a frankfurter means it makes more money than calling "sausage in a bap"), and £5 for one drink. He also said it was so crowded he felt ill and it seemed to be a one-way system so once he passed a stall he couldn't go back to it!

I love the craft traders, but last year I didn't see many. Craftspeople do not necessarily make a lot of money, particularly if business costs are high or lots of time is invested in a product, so no wonder there are so few. I bet the rent is high for those stalls!

It's not really a 'sausage in a bap' though. Far tastier than the normal sausages you get from food 'stalls'. Have you say I do enjoy the food but quite frankly its far too much of a pain shuffling round avoiding other peoples food, and the cigarettes that people wave around at face height.


I'm not a huge fan of mingling crowds at the best of times though so maybe I'm being a grumpy old fart.


It looks as though some regulars have had their stall size cut, and some local traders are no longer there, spaces taken up by the increased sizes of the beer tents. I think the whole thing is in danger of revolving around alcohol, like most 'events' can do, and I think it's a shame. The market felt a lot better in previous years. Have been once this year, had a bratwurst which I thoroughly enjoyed, had some cakes/buns from a much reduced selection, avoided the chocolate stalls (!) and got some lovely focaccia bread, but I wouldn't go back. Nothing new to see really.

GlynD

I would go in for the food but it is very overpriced. I've been to similar markets in Europe and they are much cheaper - for everything.

I don't think I'm wrong in saying that most of these stallholders are English. They attend a circuit of markets all over the British Isles. I don't understand why they don't make their prices more commensurate with what's available locally though. They'd be much more popular.

Jersy

GlynD wrote: »

I would go in for the food but it is very overpriced. I've been to similar markets in Europe and they are much cheaper - for everything.

& for the most part they are better in Europe.
I've visited a few of these myself, and they are actually enjoyable.


Some of the stuff at the market in Belfast does look good - the cheeses and chocolates etc. But seriously overpriced.


Speaking of overpriced. I had my annual stein of Paulander at the market yesterday, that will do me for another 12 months lol

guiriman

GlynD wrote: »

I would go in for the food but it is very overpriced. I've been to similar markets in Europe and they are much cheaper - for everything.

It's ok for a once-a-year thing, but getting a bit samey now. They were also here in May for the maritime festival, same stuff on offer by and large. After several years I've now had each type of exotic burger once, none of them were so 'wow' that I'd pay extra for them over a normal one though.

Ticked

I like to visit the market, but always come away empty handed. Chocolates are a no-no (too fat already), don't drink beer or eat spicy food. I would be very tempted by the bread and cake stalls except that the goods are mainly uncovered, folk sneezing and coughing over it. Yuk!

GlynD

Jersy wrote: »

& for the most part they are better in Europe.
I've visited a few of these myself, and they are actually enjoyable.


Some of the stuff at the market in Belfast does look good - the cheeses and chocolates etc. But seriously overpriced.


Speaking of overpriced. I had my annual stein of Paulander at the market yesterday, that will do me for another 12 months lol

guiriman wrote: »

It's ok for a once-a-year thing, but getting a bit samey now. They were also here in May for the maritime festival, same stuff on offer by and large. After several years I've now had each type of exotic burger once, none of them were so 'wow' that I'd pay extra for them over a normal one though.

In answer to both of you I'd say that I'm certainly a craver and in the past I would have walked over red hot broken glass to get a taste of some of the things I used to enjoy when I lived in Europe. Whilst there however I felt the same way about things I missed from home.

Now that I've been back home for a few years I've gone through the binging on Tayto crisps etc and I can buy most things I enjoyed in Europe in the shops, especially Lidl, so that's those itches scratched too.

With all of that taken care of I've no urge to go somewhere and pay through the nose for the same experiences. I can well understand however that people who haven't been as fortunate as me as regards to travel might feel differently and might want to see what a bratwurst or slice of wildschwein tastes like - and I can't blame them for that.

marcowil

The "Christmas" market in Belfast is getting a bit tired now and lacks any real variety. It needs to be spread out a bit more round City Hall (if they could) so that during the really busy periods its not so much of a trauma to walk around.

GlynD

marcowil wrote: »

The "Christmas" market in Belfast is getting a bit tired now and lacks any real variety. It needs to be spread out a bit more round City Hall (if they could) so that during the really busy periods its not so much of a trauma to walk around.

I think what we're probably all missing here is the fact that we'd have a lot more to moan about if the City Council didn't lay something like this on for us every year.