A Christmas food crawl in Victoria

The holiday season is all about the food. There, we said it.

Of course it’s also for spending time with loved ones, stomping around in fresh sheets of snow and watching seasonal rom-coms tucked away in bed, but if you’re anything like us you’ll immediately think of seasonal foods you’d never have at any other point during the year.

For those nodding along, Victoria-based Off the Eaten Track is hosting an epic Christmas food crawl this year that’ll put seasonal treats directly in the spotlight—nuts and bolts, candy cane bark and an abundance of other sweet cakes and pastries—giving you the chance to sample Victoria’s food scene as well as dive head first into the holiday spirit.

Starting at the Off the Eaten Track’s gift shop in the historic Steamship Terminal building, guests participating in the Cozy Christmas Food Tour get a sample of “nuts and bolts”, a savoury, Chex-mix like snack with a recipe that dates all the way back to the ’50s.

The tour then continues along the harbour to visit two iconic dessert spots in Victoria—Rogers Chocolates and Bon Macaron—to taste minty candy cane bark and Christmas-themed macarons dressed up as reindeer, Christmas trees and Santa Claus (some of the most adorable treats you’ll spot during the tour).

After a quick visit to the Festival of Trees inside the Bay Centre (as well as a shopping stop at Victoria Market Collective), the tour reaches a dramatic climax with a visit to Crust Bakery where guests will enjoy a spiced plum and frangipane tart and dive into mini raclette (decadent, ultra-melty cheese from the Alps) from L’apero Wine and Cheese Bistro.

The Cozy Christmas Food Tour finishes off with hot drinking chocolate and truffles at Chocolat & Co. for an ultimate sweet treat in the end.

This event is running weekly from Thursday to Sunday until Dec. 30, with no tours scheduled on Nov. 30 and Dec. 24. Tickets cost $65 for adults and $55 for children and young adults under 18. The average duration is around two hours, as the tour has multiple pit stops for guests to purchase treats at local markets and cafes as well as interact with shop owners.