FESTIVALGOERS have found what they’ve dubbed Britain’s cheapest Christmas market – where everything’s half the price of London’s Winter Wonderland.
The jolly customers left with an extra spring in their step, spare cash in their wallets and full stomachs after visiting Durham‘s festive event.
And while it’s a three-hour train from London, it’s prices may be worth the trip.
Hotdogs are just £3, hot drinks are £4, giant burgers are £6, and two portions of fries with sauce is £5.
The prices are a direct contrast to sky-high prices scattered in other parts of the country – including the capital’s Winter Wonderland.
Disgruntled customers have claimed the coughed up £7 for a potato and £8 for candy floss – which they’ve dubbed a rip off.
But, further north student Adam Bell, 17, was tucking into a £4 chilli dog – and was highly impressed.
Adam told The Sun Online: “You can’t complain at getting a hot dog for £3 – and it’s really nice, too.
“It’s good value for money.
“There might be a lot more stalls in Newcastle but it is a lot more expensive.”
Adam’s dad Nigel, 52, said if his son had bought the chilli dog elsewhere it probably would have been triple the price.
Nigel said: “Christmas markets generally aren’t cheap so it’s nice to find somewhere where the prices are good value.
“Obviously everything is expensive at the moment, so it’s always nice to save a few pennies when you can.
“If Adam had bought that in the cinema it probably would have been £12.”
Mum-of-three Lynsey, 34, bought hot dogs for her twins Mason and Freya, both 10.
She said: “Being a working parent it is good to see that prices are still low in places.
“We’ve been to Manchester and Sheffield and the prices are triple. You can’t change out of a tenner down there.”
Jonathan Dawson, 43, and daughter MacKenzie, 19, bought a giant Korean BBQ burger and two portions of fries topped with sriracha sauce for £11.
The dad said: “We’ve been to other Christmas markets and the prices are eye-watering.
“These are proper burgers – they’re not just cheap and cheerful. You’re paying for quality, so £6 is really good value.”
And the low prices are said to comes down to the stall holders.
Many of them say they vowed to keep their prices fair this silly season to boost families grappling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Sol Walker, 49, whose Walker & Sons stall sells souped-up hot dogs from £3 and large hot chocolates at £4, said he had made a conscious decision not to rip people off.
He said: “Durham attract lots of tourists but we are also surrounded by a lot of pit villages where people don’t always have a lot of cash.
“So we are conscious that we’ve got to keep prices sensible. We don’t want to rip people off.
“We want people to have good food at good prices, so that they come back throughout the year.”
And that attitude saw customers queueing to get their hands on it.
Sol added: “Prices are sky-high for people at the moment and they’ve got enough on their plate with their bills.
“My partner went to Sheffield last weekend and paid £8 for a hot dog. To me, that’s robbery. I couldn’t sleep if I did that.
“Times are hard – we’ve got to look after people.”
“We want to make sure everyone gets fed and that they’re happy. It’s not just about making as much money as we can.
“We’re not just hiking up our prices because it’s Christmas.”
At the Alpine 21 food truck, owners Tracy and Dave Toulmin, 46 and 48, were rushed off their feet selling loaded burgers.
Tracy who has run a burger stall in Newcastle and Durham for three years, said: “It would be easy to compromise on the quality and make a bigger profit margin.
“But we keep our prices reasonable and we’re busy because of it.
“For us we want people to return, we want them to have a good experience, not just being one-off customers.
“We want them to walk away happy, with good food and big portions.”
Many have shared their experiences with underwhelming festive markets this season.
Some slammed Winter Wonderland in London as a total rip-off after they paid £7 for a potato and £8 for candy floss.
Others said had similar views on a Manchester event after paying £20 for a hotdog and pint there.
Some festival-goers said they coughed up the same for a beer and sausage in Newcastle.
One woman said she even splashed £5 on measly potatoes at a London market – and said they weren’t as good as Aunt Bessies.
And a couple claimed they visited the “most disappointing” in the UK after arriving to find a handful of rubbish stalls and terrible mulled wine.
