Spit & Roast poutine was the first stop on an evening of comfort food at Southbank Centre Food Market. Chips, cheese and chicken gravy gave me a warm start, followed by mulled cider, a hog-roast roll and a sweet finish beside the Thames.
From the Roberts London archive: Vlogmas Day 22, originally published on 22 December 2015.
Back to the food market behind Royal Festival Hall
The walk began on the river crossing, looking towards the Shard with its top lit green. I had already visited the South Bank during that year’s Vlogmas, but this return came with a specific question. Would the food market’s festive version offer something different from the familiar stalls?
I made a distinction in the film between the riverside Christmas markets and the food market behind the Royal Festival Hall. The latter was the destination for dinner. I knew the traders could change from week to week, so there was still a reason to look around before ordering.
Once there, the transformation seemed modest. It was wetter and colder than my previous visit, but the food market felt much the same. That hardly mattered once I had a tray of something hot. The evening became less about finding a special Christmas menu and more about enjoying a few familiar comforts.
Spit & Roast poutine: chips, cheese and chicken gravy
Spit & Roast was already a favourite stall. This time I chose its poutine, describing the dish in the film as chips with cheese sprinkled over them and chicken gravy. I added a little hot sauce in one corner of the tray.
The verdict was straightforward: it was really good. I joked that it was more Canada than Christmas, but warm food was exactly what the cold evening called for. The tray was simple and substantial, and the combination made a welcome pause between circuits of the market.
This was also a dish I would return to on a later visit. The 2017 South Bank walk and food-market film includes another Spit & Roast stop, as part of a much longer day along the river.
Mulled cider with cider brandy
Next came a cup of hot mulled cider. I had not intended to add a shot of brandy, but the seller recommended cider brandy as a particularly good partner for the drink. His enthusiastic sales pitch won me over, and I enjoyed the result.
With the lights above the stalls and a warm cup in hand, this part of the visit felt closer to the festive evening I had set out to find. It was a short stop before moving on to the next food counter.
A hog-roast roll on the way back
The second course was a hog-roast roll filled with pork, rocket and apple sauce. By then it was starting to rain, so the tasting became a food review on the move as I headed towards the river crossing.
I particularly liked the pork and apple sauce. Trying to describe the sandwich while walking up the stairs made the review a little less composed, but the response was enthusiastic. It was another satisfying choice on an evening that had quietly turned into several courses.
A sweet stop and the Thames after dark
On the way back, I stopped at the Christmas markets for a mince pie dessert with custard. Having already eaten the poutine and pork roll, I decided I might as well complete the meal with something sweet.
The film closes with the river at night: illuminated boats, reflections and the London Eye providing the backdrop to the farewell. What began as a quick check of the festive food market became a compact record of eating my way around the South Bank in December 2015.
For another evening from the same Vlogmas series, see Winterville in Victoria Park, with fairground lights, a burger and hot chocolate.
