FOODIES are set to delight as York Christmas Market returns with a wide variety of treats to try.

As The Press reported, the market - formerly St Nicholas Fair – has officially opened on Thursday (November 14), bringing 75 chalets to Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square from 10am until 7pm each day.

In addition to the various craft and gift stalls, York’s Christmas Market has developed a reputation for its food with top York restaurants, celebrity chefs, and even pop-up businesses flocking to the city to offer something new to those who have come to soak in the festive vibes.

RECOMMENDED READING:

One local business that has got involved is steakhouse Cut and Craft which, alongside popular sister restaurant Lucia, has set up shop at the end of Parliament Street – just down the road from its brick-and-mortar locations.

Whilst this is the second year for the steak restaurant, this is the first time that Lucia has opened a Christmas market stall with both locations overseen by the team's executive chef. 

Steak and chips with a bone marrow gravySteak and chips with a bone marrow gravy (Image: Alice Kavanagh) At a cost of £14, the price is slightly higher than the standard lunch fare in York but offers the same quality meat as Cut and Craft’s normal £16 flat iron with the addition of sides and sauce.

Each steak is also prepared by the teams’ inhouse butcher at its prep kitchen before being brought to the market – giving the same experience as a dine-in meal but at a lower price.

For those who prefer a meat free meal, Lucia is also at hand offering the ‘TikTok viral’ parmesan pasta, prepared in a cheese wheel - before being topped off with chives and even more cheese.

Tagliatelle being scooped out of the parmesan wheelTagliatelle being scooped out of the parmesan wheel (Image: Alice Kavanagh) The Christmas location has brought 11 new members of staff into the business - nine of these working on the stall itself and the other two assisting the kitchen team as they prepare for new customers.

Spirits were high in the Christmas markets with crowds beginning to form around the first stall by 10.30am – just 30 minutes after opening - for what the team call ‘good hearty food’.

Other stalls in high spirits included York Cocoa Works, who are offering a variety of hot chocolate options and had just opened shutters after a power outage impacted their opening morning. Of this, they said: “It’s all going well so far, we’re back on our feet and ready to go.”

Chocolate York Minsters on offer at Florian PoirotChocolate York Minsters on offer at Florian Poirot (Image: Alice Kavanagh) Sweet treats can also be found at Florian Poirot’s macaron stand – his second opening of the month, after setting up shop in Shambles a little under a month ago - with a variety of macarons and chocolates for sale, available as both a snack and wrapped present. 

Florian's wife, chef Celine Poirot, said: "Everything we've created was done this year - the mould for the Minster was created by ourselves, it can be difficult to use. It's been really good for tourists as a souvenir of the city. We love the markets, this is our tenth year here."

Many stalls across the market also celebrated the city’s identity too - with hot drinks cups, serving hot chocolate and mulled wine, decorated in York themed designs. 

By 1pm on opening day, many of the stores already had queues forming.