Hungry shoppers hoping to eat their way into the festive spirit should head to Kingston’s German Christmas market on Thursday, November 12, when slices of the town’s biggest stollen will be given away.

The 5m, traditional German Christmas cake, baked in Ham, will be cut at noon by Councillor Chrissie Hitchcock.

Although people can taste the delicacy for free, market organiser Gordon Bulla wants diners to make a donation to the mayor of Kingston’s homelessness charity or Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Mr Bulla, originally from Berlin but now based in Kingston, explained what the cake, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, is like.

He said: “Ours is like a cake full of raisins and Christmas spices like cinnamon.

"It is then ducked in butter. This was done to protect the stollen for a long time. Then we put some power sugar on it.

"It is similar to Italian panettone.”

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