Funicular Productions have done it again with another great immersive dining experience! And this time it’s Christmas, with The Greatest Snowman! I arrived at Pedley Street Station in Bethnal Green to take a ride on The Artic Express to Birmingham.
The menu was a four course meal created by Louisa Ellis – BBC MasterChef: The Professionals Finalist 2017. We started the evening with Amuse Bouche of Caramelised Cauliflower Volute with Crispy Onions and Yeast Flakes. The only thing wrong with this dish is that it didn’t come in a giant bowl! I really loved the flavour and the crunch that came along with each sip!
The starter was Varieties of Jerusalem Artichoke, Grilled Globe Artichoke and Baby Rocket. I really didn’t know what to expect of this dish, but it was tasty! Very creamy with a variety of textures including some good crunch!
As the meal progressed, we were invaded by…..ALIENS….oh wait no, sorry, they’re elves! On a search for The Greatest Snowman, the elves commandeer the train for a tiny bit of a detour to the North Pole. Along the way, they deck out the train with lots of Christmas decorations and joy and tell the story of how the Greatest Snowman came to be.
The main dish was a lovely take on a Christmas dinner, with both a meat and vegetarian option available. The meat option was a Three Bird Roast, Chicken Skin, Cavolo Nero, Parsnip Puree, Potato Rosti, and Citrus Sauce. It looked very nice, although as a vegetarian I didn’t have it (but heard good things).
The main vegetarian dish was a Mushroom Wellington, Cavolo Nero, Parsnip Puree, Potato Rosti (which was extra yum!), and Mustard Sauce. I was very pleased to have such a similar vegetarian alternative to the meat option, as last time they were quite different. The dish definitely gave me the Christmas feelz and while I’m not a huge fan of mustard, I did enjoy it!
The evening’s dessert was another real winner for me! Poached Pear, Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Sugar Tuile, and Vanilla Snow. It was super caramely in the best way possible and I thought the vanilla snow was a really cool idea!
Once we had arrived at the North Pole, I departed the train to have a quick look round and grab a drink at the Polar Bar. Cocktails on offer there included: the Ed Snow-Ball, Sloe Buttercup Bubbles, Maple Sour Doris, the Jesse Fizz mocktail, and my favourite, the Gingerbread Elf-Tini!
Overall it was a really fun experience! I felt that it was lacking a bit of the interaction that The Murder Express had, because you didn’t have as much investment in the story. However, I thought the ‘magic tricks’ to relate it to the The Greatest Showman and the Christmas fun made it a lovely Christmas time experience to get you in the seasonal spirit!
The Greatest Snowman with be making its journey on The Arctic Express from 22nd November until the 23rd December from Pedley Street Station (Bethnal Green). If you want to have a closer look check it out on: https://www.funicularproductions.com/thegreatestsnowman or book tickets at https://www.funicularproductions.com/greatestsnowmantickets!
