The Great Christmas Feast previewed back in 2018 as a sell-out secret dining experience. Without giving too much away, guests will meet at a secret location close to London Bridge, from where they’ll discover a hidden door, a portal to Victorian London and the chambers of Charles Dickens himself. Those who enter can expect to become entwined in the story A Christmas Carol as it’s brought to life by a collective of musicians, chefs, mixologists and the author himself.
Guests are invited to take their seats amid teetering piles of papers in Dickens' office. It's the night of 24 December 1843 and the author has nearly finished writing his festive novella, but before he puts down his pen for good, he's holding a final reading. As soon as he utters the famous line: 'Marley was dead to begin with…’, his world of ghosts, memories, morals and festive cheer is conjured up around the crowd.
As with all of The Lost Estate’s experiences, feasting is just as important as the theatrics. The team have once again brought in Neil Rankin, head chef of the delectable smokehouse restaurant chain Temper, and ex-Nopi head chef David Lagonell to oversee the kitchen. The dishes served are also inspired by scenes from Dickens’ story, but created with modern gastronomic techniques. (We predict lots of steam and smoke effects.)
The four-course feast begins with Scrooge’s Supper: pork popcorn, quince and terrine. Next, diners are whisked into Ebeneezer’s Christmas Past, where charred mackerel and apple is the dish of the day. This is followed by a chance to tuck into the Cratchit Family’s Feast (following Scrooge’s new-found generosity): decadent sharing platters of pheasant, sausages, chestnuts, roasted roots and potatoes. But don’t forget to leave room for pudding, or you’ll miss out on Tiny Tim’s Yuletide Wassail: a take on honey and toast with almonds and spiced nuts.
Drinks wise, guests can thaw their fingers holding steaming hot brews like the Nephew Fred’s Apple Toddy (Calvados, clover honey, lemon and Christmas spice tincture), or keep things traditional with cocktail recipes taken from the pages of Drinking with Dickens, an account of the author’s favourite tipples by his great-grandson Cedric Dickens.
In short, come prepared to eat, drink and be merry – ‘tis the season to be jolly after all.
| What | The Lost Estate presents The Great Christmas Feast |
| Where | The Great Christmas Feast , The Dickens Residence, 47-49 Tanner Street , London , SE1 3PL | MAP |
| Nearest tube | South Kensington (underground) |
| When |
22 Nov 19 – 04 Jan 20, Times vary |
| Price | £34 - £109 |
| Website | Click here for more information and to book |
