As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, the city is starting to feel a little more festive and entering into the Christmas spirit. This year Hatch is no exception, transforming itself into a sparkling winter wonderland and ready to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
With an assortment of festive workshops and seasonal offerings from independent traders, Hatch is delivering the most wholesome night out for you and your friends to kick off the festivities in style.
Hatch’s fabulous Festive Village is adorned with fairy lights, Christmas trees, and baubles as though Father Christmas decorated it himself. And to really get you in the festive cheer, there will be Christmas choirs every Sunday throughout December performing Christmas classics with a twist.
As part of Hatch’s series of Festive Workshops, we joined Last Ember in a Candle Making workshop where we created our very own personalised scented candles. We opted for Ude and Ginger scents but there were scents ranging from Rose to Sandalwood. With two in December, the workshops would be perfect as a gift or a date night activity.
The first trader putting a festive twist on their menu was Kong’s with their Pulled Turkey Toastie. This pimped-up boxing day sandwich with pulled turkey leg, herby stuffing, brie, and cranberry aioli on a grilled, chewy sourdough is the ultimate taste of Christmas.
It doesn’t stop there for the meat lovers, Kong’s are also serving up a mammoth pigs in blankets burger with a 6oz pork patty, pulled turkey, crispy bacon, shredded maple sprouts, baconnaise, and stuffing. With all the trimming, there is no excuse to not get it straight down the hatch.
Next up was Bondi Bowls putting a festive flourish on their menu, offering up their Winter Earth Bowl. With a variety of seasonal root vegetables, kale, shaved parsnips, carrots and walnuts, this dish brought a wide range of contrasting textures and colours to the plate. However, this was notably lighter than your typical nourish bowl. It’s the perfect accompaniment to something a little more carb-heavy.
Grandad’s Sausages was next to follow, pulling out all the stops with their loaded fries and really embracing the true indulgence of Christmas. Messy fries stacked high with stuffing, crispy bacon bits, cranberry sauce, chipolatas, and a generous drizzling of gravy will certainly have everyone unbuckling their belts in the new year.
Parmaggedon are also getting merry, combining their classic buttermilk Chicken Parmo with another undisputed classic – pigs in blankets. Accompanied with deep-fried stuffing, this makes for a winning festive bite. Despite the juiciness of the chicken, this dish did seem to lack an element of sauciness.
Up next were the Cheeky Tikka Chaat bombs. Sweet and fragrant, these chaat bombs were a flavour sensation, when eaten the only appropriate way… all in one. With chickpeas as the base, drizzled with a tangy molasses sauce and topped with fresh pomegranate these bombs really made you keep coming back for more. Although they did seem to be missing the classic ingredient: raita. It was overall a refreshing palette cleanser from the typical stodginess around the festive period.
Last, but certainly not least, was the T’arricrri Christmas Cannelloni. With silky smooth pistachio cream and a crispy exterior, this was a gorgeous alternative to the British Christmas classic – the brandy snap. Vegan and made with Italian panettone, it was the perfect something sweet to finish the night while cosying up under some blankets by the tree.
Other festive specials include Herbivorous’ plant-based Christmas ‘turkey’ and stuffing burger, and Block Steak Shop’s deep-fried camembert with spicy tomato dip.
To wash it all down, as expected the festive tipple is also in full flow. Mulled wine is a staple at Christmas, warming the heart and the hands and this one did not disappoint. Steamy and spiced, it is perfect to take the chill and the edge off as the temperature drops.
If you fancied something a little stronger, the cocktails were unquestionably the highlight of the night. The Clementine Cosmo was a beautiful blend of Absolut Vodka, clementine liqueur, lime and cranberry, a fabulous balance between sweet and tart. My personal favourite, The Jolly Gingerbread, was a creamy, Baileys, gingerbread heaven served with whipped cream, cinnamon, and a mini gingerbread man… the ultimate nightcap.
All the independent traders’ Christmas specials will be available all throughout November and December with the Festive Village open until Friday 23 December.
Hatch is open seven days a week from 12pm-late. Book a table here.
