Fury at Birmingham's German Christmas market where beer & snacks cost more than flight to Frankfurt

Revellers have slammed Britain's largest German Christmas market as a "rip off" – with a beer and a hotdog costing more than a flight to Frankfurt.

With the price of a snack and a stein averaging £20, market goers to Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market have branded the event "too expensive". Two-pint steins of German wheat beer Hofbrau cost £12.50, while a 19ins Bratwurst is priced at £8 and a bag of cashews setting revellers back £9.

Just those three items cost a total of £29.50 - almost twice the price of a £16.99 Ryanair flight to Frankfurt in January. Another stallholder on the market is selling 10 medium-sized Nuremberg gingerbread biscuits for a £24.90.

Chocolate-covered marshmallows are also priced at £1.50 each or £15 for a 20-piece box. People wanting to enjoy a hot toddy can expect to fork out £6 for a warm glass of mulled wine or £9 for a winter cocktail called Schneeman Punsch.

One of the largest and most famous markets in the country, visitors said they felt “ripped off” by some of the prices.

Christopher Spence, 50, from Warwick, said: “I’ve been coming to the German market for years but this year the prices are ridiculous. I must have spent £50 in half-an-hour on a beer, a snack and a hotdog and some marshmallows for the kids.

'Bit of a rip-off'

“When you look how much these things cost in the supermarkets, the prices here are just too much. It’s a bit of a rip-off to be honest.”

The Christmas market prices compare with a 500ml bottle of Hofbrau costing £3.50 at Morrisons while a 200g bag of cashew nuts are £2 at Asda. At Tesco a 200g bag of marshmallows costs £1.10 – 40p less than just one on sale at the Brummie market.

Mum-of-two Josie Roughan, 42, said: "Me and my workmates came here for our Christmas party but we were pretty disappointed.

"The food and drinks are really over-priced and the atmosphere is a bit flat. I think people are more conscious about how much things cost.

"Personally I'd prefer to have the girls round to my house for a bring-a-bottle do than spend a fortune standing around in the cold with a £9 cup of warm wine."

The market, which is in Victoria Square and New Street in the city centre, opened on November 2 and runs until Christmas Eve. Despite the criticisms, it has been crowned the best Christmas market in the UK for 2023, and ranked eighth in the whole of Europe.

What has the council said about the prices?

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: "The Frankfurt Christmas Market brings millions of visitors into the city each year, providing a huge economic boost for the city as these visitors will also visit Birmingham’s shops, hotels, restaurants and other attractions.

"It remains an incredibly popular event and has been so for over 20 years.”