Tucked away in Aberdeen’s Christmas Village and hidden behind the doors of Marischal College lies Curated in the Quad, the city’s annual festive market place.
With a bumper collection of 45 chalet-style stalls this year, showcasing local products, foods, jewellery, drinks and crafts, we sent along self-confessed festive fanatic Lindsay Bruce to sample all the market had to offer.
Will Quad market live up to expectations? We find out
It’s true, I’m a Santa-hat wearing, (Christmas) card-carrying member of seasonal superfans who love nothing more than a Holiday movie and anything mulled. So I had high hopes for a visit to one of Scotland’s most unique market offerings.
Curated by Aberdeen Inspired to maximise quality and choice, all rent from stalls – built free of charge by Codona’s – goes to supporting north-east charity Charlie House.
It’s also one of the few seasonal stall gatherings where all the vendors are local. You won’t see half a dozen churro stalls and personalised glass baubles here. But if you do want to experience some Granite City ingenuity with great Scottish produce and craftsmanship, in one of Aberdeen’s most beautiful locations, then this is the place to be.
Plenty stalls to catch attention right away
First off on my two-hour tour of the market was Toppers.
What caught my eye was a range of black products in the shape of pets and even Highland cattle.
Owner Bruce Adam told me he pivoted his marine sector signage company in the pandemic to turn recycled plastics into handcrafted silhouettes – or shadow shapes.
It’s his third year in the Quad.
“It does open doors for us to be here. Sometimes it points people to our website, and other times we get to meet customers here who seem to really love what we make.”
I opted for one of their smaller, lightweight ornaments. Designed to sit on top of TVs, picture frames, mirrors, shelves and doors, I chose a labrador-shaped topper as a stocking filler for my mum.
Starting at £13.95 the range of designs available from the Quad is vast.
So many stallholders also means there are goodies for a range of budgets. I loved 2SHA Essence’s £6 small Christmas-themed candles. Perfect for my Christmas Day table.
Cheese and chilli sauce… but what’s the verdict?
Speaking of festive dining, food and drink is also a huge draw to the Christmas Village and Market.
This year while Big Manny’s and We Love Crumble grace the main village, inside the Quad you can buy some incredible produce to take home.
I roped in my fellow reporter Andy Morton to taste test just a fraction of what’s on offer.
“As you can see from the photos,” Andy said, “I had a great time sampling what was on offer, including some gorgeous cheddar from Aviemore’s Damn Fine Cheese Co.”
Buying a stock of cheese to take with him Andy’s top recommendation was “Black Gold.”
“A charcoal cheddar, it was coal-black and delicious. Though it was Damn Fine’s damn fine classic cheddar that I ended up buying.”
One cheese costs £5.50 with offers including four for £20 and six for £28.
Hot sauce for all tastebuds, even ‘chili wimp’ Andy
But if it’s food AND entertainment you’re after then get yourself to Singularity Sauce’s stall. The Dyce chili wrangler has its usual array of sauces on sale, but also a selection out to sample, including the hottest one on its books.
Owner Mark McAulay managed to entice “chili wimp” Andy into trying one packaged in a sleek but sinister black bottle – made with 48% Moruga Scorpion chilies.
“It’s called Our Hottest Sauce, so I don’t have any excuse for mistakenly putting too much on my nacho chip,” Andy said. “The hiccupping fit that followed kept everyone in the market highly amused for a good few minutes.
“I’m told some people enjoy those crazy-hot sauces. But if, like me, you can’t handle the heat, then have a go of Singularity’s 7 Pot Pineapple, which is a lot less wild and very moreish, though it was the much milder Everyday Hot Sauce that I ended up buying.”
Prices range from £5 up to £10 per bottle, with a £16 gift set also available in the quad.
Sparks flying at trendy new jewellery stall
Back to Christmas shopping, I made a beeline for Very Spexy.
The Aberdeen and Peterhead spectacle business, owned by Jon Mitchell, has embraced a new TikTok trend in permanent jewellery.
John, who has a background in eyewear saw an opportunity and grabbed it.
“I have always been in optics having worked for Optical Express and Black & Lizars but after being in the States I saw this trend for permanent jewellery.
“I thought hey, I’m going to do the training on how to ‘weld’ silver and gold-filled jewellery onto the wrists of customers. And so here I am.
“It’s really popular, all over the internet, so great to be bringing that to Aberdeen.”
Prices start at £45 – which is the cost of my delicate silver bracelet “welded on” in seconds with the tiniest of sparks.
Look no further for furry friend gifts too
It’s not just gifts for humans on sale either. Jamie Mabon of AberK9Treats has harnessed all his knowledge of dogs to create a range of natural and raw animal treats.
The dog walker sells everything from treat boxes to giant Ostrich bones for £10.
Goodies from Stinky Beasties are also available for your furry friends.
Luxury items? Look no further
But if there’s a high-end or one-off item on your Christmas shopping list, you may just find it at the Little Brown Dog chalet, selling premium spirits, or from McTavish Designs.
Founded by Fiona Milne, who used to be a semi-conductor engineer – she creates handmade leather bound notebooks.
“I bought a leather notebook in Texas and couldn’t find anything similar here. So thought I would try myself. I sourced the leather, sewed directly on to it, and that was my first notebook.”
Aided by her mum, who uses fabric remnants to create beautiful bags for these luxury items, her prices range from £16 for a small book to her most expensive item at £110. All the items contain high quality 140gsm or watercolour paper.
“This one has the Declaration of Arbroath hand etched into it,” she added.
I opted for a £60 red leather pad for my aunt.
A wee drink for the road… How about kambucha?
Ending our jaunt around the Quad, we decided to dip back into food and drink.
First off, Aberdeen’s Raw Culture Kambucha owned by Chris Geary.
“I just love the market. I think it’s great for Aberdeen. Brings so many people here and offers something really unique. Been great to introduce people to Kambucha too.”
A fermented tea loaded with probiotics, enzymes, and beneficial acids, Chris’s secret is using hops to derive flavour, keeping it low in sugar.
Starting at £2.75 a can and £29.99 for a 12 pack, it comes in multiple flavours including our favourite, the popular Mangosaurus.
Market helped cookie business become a cult success
Our ultimate stop-off was at Cookie Cult.
Owned by Amanda Charles, it’s their third time in the Quad.
“I started my business four years ago in December after being made redundant from my job in oil and gas. It was during the pandemic so the Christmas market wasn’t running. However, when it started up again the following year, I got my first Christmas stall—and I’ve never looked back!
“The Aberdeen Christmas market has a constant flow of people so it’s a fantastic opportunity to reach new customers and spread the word about our shop on St Swithin Street.
“It’s a lot of hard work – and it’s really cold for us stallholders – but such a rewarding experience. Especially as we are also supporting a great cause, Charlie House.”
Taste-tester Andy said: “Remember the scene in Elf where Buddy gobbles up a bowl of spaghetti mixed with all manner of confectionery? Well, you can recreate that sugary high with the Elf cookie. I’m told it is this year’s top seller.”
Judging by the smile on his face, it was a winner with Andy too.
A success for the city and for Charlie House
Emma Leiper Finlayson is Director of Fundraising at Charlie House.
Founded in 2011, Charlie House supports babies, children and young people in the north-east of Scotland who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and provides support for their families.
“Curated at the Quad is a really impactful event for our charity. Last year we raised £24,000 for Charlie House. To put that into context, it costs £50 for a practical support session for one of the 140 families we help. It goes a long way.
“But I also think it puts an end to that mindset of ‘there’s nothing to do in Aberdeen.’
“We were just nominated as second most festive Scottish city after Edinburgh and 85% of market customers described it as good or great, with 91% of traders saying it was good for business.
“It’s such a great partnership between Charlie House, Codona’s and Aberdeen Inspired. Something not to miss.”
Indeed, I have to agree. I’ll be back. And with a combination of fixed vendors and new “spotlight” traders each weekend, there’s always something new to sample. A proper hidden gem in the heart of the city.
This Christmas-addict gives it 9 (mince pies) out of 10. Points deducted for the cold!
- There’s still plenty of time to visit this year’s Curated at the Quad. Operating every weekend until Saturday December 22. Opening times are Friday: 12pm – 7pm, Saturday: 11am – 7pm and Sunday: 11am – 6pm.
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