Taste Of London Winter 2014 at Tobacco Dock

This weekend, Taste of London hits the Tobacco Dock for their winter season. Last year was a great event, and this year it's even bigger and better! This is the place to sample some new and upcoming brands, along with some more of the well known. It's also the perfect occasion to buy some Christmas presents for loved ones. There is something for everyone; from alcoholic smoothies to rock star cheeses,  fat burning chocolate to even some mulled cider hand wash!

I love that for most of the brand stands you can try before you buy. As a lot of these companies are quite small, Taste is a fantastic opportunity to talk to the people behind the product and get the lowdown on exactly what they offer, and maybe even get some special discounts. I always feel more inclined to buy from the brands with extra engagement and friendliness. Here were some of my favourites from tonight.

Sinful Smoothies

"This is everything I've ever dreamed of", were my exact words as I spotted this stand. With a tagline that says 'The naughty love child of fruit and alcohol' who could resist. They weren't lying either! These babies were delicious. It's a tough decision but if I had to choose, I'd say the orange & mango was my favourite. I'm looking forward to seeing what other flavours the guys at Sinful Smoothie might offer in the near future. They're also offering 10% off when you use the code SUNFUL10 to order over at VIP Bottles.

Vedett

This beer company instantly caught my eye with their retro packaging. I love the arty feel to their design (just have a play around with their website) and it feels a bit more female friendly, though it's not particularly aimed at either gender. I sampled their extra ordinary IPA and extra blond, which I found more refreshing to my taste buds. They're also offering you, yes you, a chance to even feature on one of their bottle labels, so hurry up and strike your best Warhol pose!

Cocoa Cabin

Don't you just love when you feel a sudden connection with someone you've just met? This is exactly what happened when I followed the sweet smell of hot chocolate and got chatting to these girls. We found we have a mutual love for all things nautical (complete with matching anchor tattoos), and of course hot chocolate. Zara & Mariam told me how popular hot chocolate used to be back in the early 18th century, so they're now looking to 'bring back London's favourite drink'. People tend to think of hot chocolate as a pre-bedtime beverage which makes you feel sleepy and ready for a good nights sleep, but these girls use only dark chocolate (with added white if you so wish) as it contains more caffeine than milk chocolate, so will keep you slightly more energized. Zara and Mariam were sure proof of this, chatting away with me, though they had been stood at their stall all day, running on their own concoction of this scrumptious drink. Be sure to check out their website for details on which events they'll be popping up at next. You can also follow them on Twitter.

Brittains Vodka

I was so happy to find this vodka brand again as we had tasted the butterscotch flavour last year but didn't get a chance to go back to actually buy a bottle, but today was the day! Brittains offer over 10 other flavours, including Black Forest, Chilli Chocolate and Strawberry & Rhubarb. We'd tasted some other flavoured vodka brands, but this one definitely left the sweetest taste in our mouths.

Buttercup Cake Shop

By far the cutest cakes we saw all night (be sure to check out the Grinch cake further down the page!). The Buttercup Cake Shop can be found at both Westfield shopping centres, or you can even order online. With an array of flavours and designs (or maybe design your own), it's difficult to pick. I'd recommend the sticky toffee. They also offer workshops in cake decoration; sounds like a fab idea for a Christmas party!

Here's what else I spotted around the event.

So if you're stuck for something to do this weekend, I really do recommend heading over to Taste of London Winter at the Tobacco Dock. This is my second year at this event, and it just seems to be getting even better with each visit. Bring on next year!