I went to Leeds Christmas Market - I can’t understand the critics

With over 60 wooden chalets, fairground rides, an ice rink and two bars, Leeds Christmas Market kicked off last Friday.

As ever I’d heard mixed reviews about Leeds Christmas Market which stretches throughout the city centre.

At the heart of the city - on City Square, Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens - you’ll find the main festive market stalls including a range of seasonal food alongside Christmas rides.

Attractions including the Carousel, the Big Wheel and Ice Cube ice-skating are on offer, which is on from November 21 to December 31.

We headed here first. I’ll be honest as it was pouring down with rain by the time we arrived in the city centre, we bypassed the funfair rides and the big wheel, much to my toddler’s disdain.

Instead, we went straight to Millenium Square, the home of Leeds City Museum, which is one of my favourite free places to visit in Leeds.

An illuminated arch welcomes you into the main market where there are prettily decorated chalets of all shapes and sizes selling food and drink.

The market is clearly laid out, and perhaps it wasn’t heaving due to the weather and visiting on a Sunday.

As soon as we stepped foot into the main area the aroma of hot custard and crumble lingered in the air.

My eye was immediately caught by Farsley Fire and Smoke’s converted BBQ train. A man stood in the rain merrily barbequing chicken while the customers queued up at the chalet counter next to their ‘live cooking station,’ to order everything from beef brisket to loaded fries and pulled pork.

This reminded me about the magic of Christmas Markets like this which champion local traders. It’s the atmosphere, the interactions and the live cooking which make this much more of a memorable experience than grabbing something quick from a chain restaurant.

We then stumbled on a stall selling nuts coated in a variety of sweet and caramelised toppings, all roasted in copper pans and served from inside a giant 200 year old Australian wine barrel.

Next up, our noses were led by the smell of garlic. The Garlic Mushroom Co is a family run business based in Doncaster who have brought this Bavarian tradition to the UK.

Creamy mushrooms is a classic German dish known as Rahmschwammerl (in Bavarian dialect) or Bayerische Schwammerlbrühe. It’s similar to a ragou. You can buy it here as a portion on its own or with freshly made garlic bread.

Walking around these Christmas chalets really did feel like a walk around the world’s culinary Christmas traditions.

Opposite Jimmy Macs UK were serving up another showstopping dish. Bubbling cheese scraped over crispy garlic potatoes.

Their cheese wheels, raclettes, are shaved onto roast potatoes, served with cold meats and gherkins.

Next to them was a poutine stall selling Quebec style french fries and cheese curds topped with a hot gravy.

When chatting to the stall holders, as this is one of the parts I love about Christmas Markets, one said that customers had complained about too many food stalls.

I loved the length and breadth of Leeds Christmas Markets as there’s something for everyone. Not to mention it gets people exp[loring the city centre.

At Bond Court, there’s an artisan market by Little Bird Markets who are hosting a local makers market from Thursday to Sunday from November 20 to December 21.

There’s also market stalls inside Trinity Leeds and on Briggate as well as the chance to have your photo taken on a weekend at Victoria Leeds in the Snowland Storybook.