It’s that time of year again when city centres all across the UK can set up for the festive season with games, rides, music and plenty of Christmas cheer. However, the thing I get most excited for is the food which is generally overpriced but promises to be delicious. So over 2 days, I tried the most viral food spots at Manchester and Sheffield putting them head-to-head to see whose Christmas market grub is king of the North.
MANCHESTER
Parmogeddon - Total: 9/10
At Parmogeddon I picked up the Christmas Chicken Parm consisting of crumbed fried chicken covered in creamy bechamel sauce topped with melted cheese, sat on top of a bed of triple cooked fries with some pigs in blankets & gravy for good measure!
Taste: 8/10 A little too much of the thyme seasoning for my liking but other than that, banging!
Price: £11, which I think if a fair price for what you get, 9/10
Portion: Could barely finish it all! 10/10
Yard and Coop - Total 5/10
I fancied some lovely buttermilk chicken for lunch and who better than Yard and Coop? Here I grabbed a Salt and Pepper Tray and some BBQ Boneless Bites.
Taste: The S&P tray was overly drenched in soy sauce which did make the chicken a little soggy but the chicken bites were elite. S&P tray 5/10. BBQ boneless bites 10/10
Price: £11 and £6. I do think the S&P tray was overpriced, there weren't many pieces of chicken at all! Maybe 4 or 5 quid at best. 3/10
Portion: Both could have been bigger! 6/10
Porky Pig - Total 8/10
Of course, I had to try Porky Pigs infamous Yorkshire Pudding Wrap.
I filled mine with stuffing, veg, pulled pork and chicken, crispy potatoes, gravy and just a bit of Cheese sauce!
Taste: We all love a good cooked Christmas lunch so what wasn’t to love about this! It does loose a point for the lack of gravy and come on it isn’t Christmas without pigs in blankets. Dare I say a little overrated 7/10
Price: £8.50, I would say considering the options you get and the size, this is a fair price and cheaper than a lot of other stalls! But at the same time, I could just go to a carvery and have twice the portion on a plate for the same price. 7/10
Portion: In terms of a yorkie wrap it is hard to fault the size and they were well filled. And they nailed my request for extra stuffing to a tee! 10/10
SHEFFIELD
Tornado Potato - Total 8/10
As a potato lover and a cheese lover and an everything unhealthy lover really, I had to get this amazing spiralled potato covered in cheese sauce from Tornado Potato.
Taste: Deep fried potato with cheese, not mind blowing but damn tasty! 9/10
Price: £5, For me the fairest priced scran so far 10/10
Portion: Surprisingly not as filling as you might expect. I did find myself hungry again soon after and actually almost went back for a second but decided to save space for something else 7/10
Gourmet Burger Co. - Total 4/10
I’d had carbs on top of carbs and tried some chicken and pork dishes, now it was time to give some beef a go. I grabbed a burger from Gourmet burger co with fried onions and ketchup and yes, the picture is just as disappointing as the taste…
Taste: An average beef burger would be a compliment. The flavour wasn’t terrible but barely any onions and a bit dry. 4/10
Price: £6, it isn’t unreasonable for an actual gourmet burger but I would have expected more onions, and more sauce. Oh, and a patty big enough for my bun would’ve been nice 3/10
Portion: Average size but for what I paid but it was on the smaller side. 5/10
Noodle Bar - Total 8/10
I loved the look of this stall so I just had to give it a go! Unfortunately, I did forget to picture my food because I scoffed it so quickly… Nevertheless, I got some Noodles with added chicken and curry sauce!
Taste: Great tasting! Nothing was dry or overcooked it was honestly 10/10
Price: £7.50 Chicken and sauce are extras which made the price what it is and I do think it’s pretty pricey even for a Christmas market. 7/10
Portion: Okay size, it filled me up nicely! Would have liked a bit more chicken. The noodles to Chicken ratio was a little off considering I paid extra for it. 8/10
So, with an empty wallet, a full stomach and an enjoyable experience the winner of Sheffield vs Manchester Christmas market food has to be Manchester. Parmogeddon being my favourite stall I visited. But all in all, every single one of these places are worth a go after all I only tried one menu item from most of them not to mention all the other ones I didn’t try.
The Final Scores:
SHEFFIELD - 7/10
MANCHESTER - 9/10
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