Top of the December morning to you! You may be relieved to hear that this is a slightly trimmer guide than usual, as the events unsurprisingly thin out towards mid December.

If you haven’t already, I’d suggest giving my Bristol Christmas Gift Guide a read once you’re done with this. Cheers!

News

Not quite December news, but very exciting and coming soon – it’s Belly Laughs! Bristol’s annual series of comedy gigs in weird and wonderful food locations returns in January, with tickets including a night of comedy and food all to raise money for The Julian Trust, but they’re selling fast so nab your tickets soon! The full list of gigs is here, or here are a few picks:

• Sun 5th Jan at Bath Road Curry House (£16)
• Wed 8th Jan at Pata Negra (£22)
• Mon 13th Jan at Small Bar with Wings Diner (£19)
• Tue 14th at Bambalan (£22)
• Wed 22nd at B Block (£27)

If you’re still looking for a gift for someone interested in local food, The Bath and Bristol Cook Book has just been released and features recipes and profiles of some of the region’s best restaurants, bakeries and delis. You can buy the book from Waterstones, many of the businesses who feature in the book, and from the Bristol Food Tour website.

If you’re partial to a G&t, get yourself obver to Clifton Village this month, because 6 O’clock Gin have opened a pop-up shop just in time for Christmas! The shop will stock their full range as well as including limited edition products. They will also be running a Make Your Own Sloe Gin masterclass, tickets cost £25.

Caring in Bristol have teamed up with Josh Eggleton of The Pony and Trap, FareShare South West and The Community Farm to provide a full 7 day menu of three hot restaurant quality meals a day for those facing homelessness and hardship this Christmas. Meals will be cooked by teams from Pasta Loco, BOX-E, Somer Dining, The Pony & Trap, Bravas, Masa + Mezcal, Poco Tapas, Tare and more. This project is reliant on donations from the the public. People can support the project easily via the Caring in Bristol website.

I’d also strongly advice you to to use the Tap for Bristol contactless donation points around the city, whether it be to help support Caring in Bristol over the festive period and coldest months of the year, or as your monthly/weekly good deed on your way to buy lunch!

Main events

St Nick’s Night Market returns on Friday 6th December for a festive celebration, featuring food stalls, mulled beverages, live music and carol singing.

The following day brings Viva Vegan Festival to the Bristol SU building in Clifton, featuring cookery demos, talks, workshops and more.

Salt & Malt at Chew Valley Lake is celebrating the festive season with a number of other local businesses from around the Chew Valley by holding a Christmas Food Festival on Saturday 7th December, from 4pm until late in the evening. Expect Christmas lights and trees, local musicians and an Après Ski Bar serving mulled wine, mulled cider, and hot toddies.

Harts Bakery are hosting their annual Christmas Market on Saturday 14th from 8am to 2pm. This year the market will focus on products that are handcrafted or made sustainably using repurposed or recycled materials. Head along to pick up plants, wine, coffee, handmade goods & lots more!

Classes/workshops

End the year with some new knowledge!

• Triple brewery tour with Bristol Hoppers, Fri 6th, £29.
• Wylie Sisters natural wine tasting at The Ottowin Shop, Fri 6th, £25.
• The Great Gin World Series at Hotel du Vin, Sat 7th, £40.
• The Rhythm and Booze Project at The Robin Hood, Wed 11th, £29.
• Gin Tasting: The Life and Death of Madame Genever at Arnos Vale, Thu 12th, £35.
• Bristol Whisky Appreciation Society, Thu 12th, £20.
• The Wines of Italy one day course, Sat 14th, £85.
• Macaron Masterclass at Little Kitchen, Sun 15th, £50.
• Festive Whisky at Milk Thistle, Tue 17th, £20.
• Pakistani cookery class at Mivart Studios, Wed 18th, £35.

Pop-ups

You’ll find Tsukemono at The Volunteer Tavern until 21st Dec, who have also developed their own brew – Tanaka – in collaboration with Wiper & True. A pale ale made from rice and wheat, the beer has been specially created to pair with Tsukemono’s Japenese soul food classics and will be available at the pub during the takeover.

The Bristol & Bath Rum Distillery are doing a rotation of pop-ups throughout December, including The Latin American Food Co on Tuesdays, High Steaks on Thursdays, Bombay Brrrrunch on Sat 7th & 14th and Taco Station on other selected dates.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve

If you’re not up for cooking on Christmas Day, The Ox are opening for Christmas lunch for the first time, with a four course decadent feast and fizz. See the full menu here.

Or the night before you can head to the Christmas Eve Tasting Dinner at The Kensington Arms, which is £45 for a five-course menu of winter delights. They’re also hosting a NYE Dinner Party on 31st December, featuring six course dinner (all £55) served with an optional wine pairing. Email info@thekensingtonarms.co.uk or phone 01179446444 to book.

Bar 44 in Clifton are also serving dinner right up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, with a five course meal plus fizz (£55) and a house DJ at midnight. Read more here.

Check our more Christmas Events and New Year’s Eve events.

New openings

Coming soon across the city – cake maestros Ahh Toots are opening a shop at the bottom of Christmas Steps in what was the fish and chip shop, Squeezed will be moving their award-winning burgers into the soon-to-be-vacated Bristol Cider Shop unit in Wapping Wharf in January, and snazzy cocktail bar The Alchemist is rumoured to be opening on Corn Street in the new year.

That’s it for this month, keep an eye out for my end of the year highlights in the next couple of weeks (take a look at the 2018, 2017 and beyond versions if you find that sort of nostalgic thing interesting)

Other good local stuff to read (not just mine)

• The Bristol Foodie Gift Guide
• Bristol’s Best Curries
• The Christmas Feasting Round Up (Bedsit Bonne Vivante)
• Where to go for Cocktails in Bristol (Visit Bristol)
• The Swan with Two Necks and Gentrification (Boak and Bailey)

Dates for the diary

• Thu 5th – Glenfiddich whisky tasting at Kinkajou
• Thu 5th – Brewing Crash Course at Bristol Brewery School
• Thu 5th – Christmas Door Biscuit Classat ANNA Cake Couture
• Thu 5th – Winter in Italy cookery class at Square Food Foundation
• Fri 6th – Wylie Sisters natural wine tasting 
• Fri 6th – Gin tasting at Bristol Dry Gin
• Fri 6th – Triple brewery tour with Bristol Hoppers
• Fri 6th – St Nick’s Night Market
• Fri 6th – Christmas Mixed Biscuits Class at ANNA Cake Couture
• Sat 7th – Bristol Viva Vegan Festival
• Sat 7th – Moulded chocolate truffle masterclass at Little Kitchen
• Sat 7th – The Great Gin World Series at Hotel du Vin
• Sat 7th – East to West food tour
• Sat 7th – Cheese & wine tasting at Avery’s
• Sat 7th – Breakfast pastry making course at The Assembly Bakery
• Sat 7th –Moor Beer brewery tour and beer tasting
• Sat 7th – Gin tasting at Bristol Dry Gin
• Sat 7th – Wiper & True brewery tour
• Sun 8th – Tsukemono Winter Feast at Harts (sold out)
• Mon 9th – Festive Dining Evening at The Bank Tavern
• Tue 10th – Christmas Drip Cake Class at ANNA Cake Couture
• Wed 11th – Christmas Treats Cellar Tasting at Avery’s
• Wed 11th – Chef’s canape masterclass at Thornbury Castle
• Wed 11th – The Rhythm and Booze Project at The Robin Hood
• Wed 11th – Vegan cheese and wine tasting at FLIP
• Thu 12th – Truffle making and afternoon tea at Thornbury Castle
• Thu 12th – Gin Tasting: The Life and Death of Madame Genever at Arnos Vale
• Thu 12th – Bristol Whisky Appreciation Society
• Thu 12th – Beer & cheese: Verdant showcase at LHG Brewpub
• Thu 12th & Fri 13th – Vegan pop-up restaurant at FLIP
• Fri 13th – The Tapas Social at Little Kitchen
• Sat 14th – Food Fire Earth at New Bristol Brewery, Pintxos Night
• Sat 14th – Gift Making Workshop at Coexist Community Kitchen
• Sat 14th – Wiper & True brewery tour
• Sat 14th – The Wines of Italy one day course
• Sat 14th – Harts Bakery Christmas Market
• Sat 14th –Moor Beer brewery tour and beer tasting
• Sat 14th – Gin tasting at Bristol Dry Gin
• Sat 14th – Stokes Croft food tour
• Sat 14th – Clandesdiner supper club
• Sat 14th – Sun 15th – Stokes Croft Christmas Market
• Sun 15th – Macaron Masterclass at Little Kitchen
• Sun 15th – Bottomless Burger Club at Burger Theory
• Sun 15th – Cocktails & Classics at Hyde & Co
• Mon 16th – Festive Dining Evening at The Bank Tavern
• Tue 17th – Festive Whisky at Milk Thistle
• Wed 18th – Pakistani cookery class
• Wed 18th – Cocktail Making Class at Thornbury Castle
• Wed 18th – Winter Cider Feast at The Jam Jar
• Thu 19th – Christmas Captain’s Dinner at SS Great Britain
• Fri 20th – Die Hard screening at Avery’s with wine flight
• Fri 20th – Christmas Edition at Finzels Reach Market
• Sat 21st – Wiper & True brewery tour
• Sat 21st – Gin tasting at Bristol Dry Gin
• Sat 21st – Moor Beer brewery tour and beer tasting
• Sat 28th –Moor Beer brewery tour and beer tasting
• Sat 28th – Cheese Day at Snuffy Jack’s
• Sat 28th – Concrete Farmer’s Market at St George’s Bristol
• Sun 29th – Tobacco Factory Producers Market