What does Goose Fair mean to you? Is it trying out the latest white knuckle ride or seeing your kids smiling faces on the roundabouts? Or is it the traditional fairground grub that draws you there?
If it's the latter you are in for a treat. The annual spectacle - one of the biggest travelling fairs in Europe - has hundreds of rides, side stalls, and, of course, a wide variety of food and drink.
Mushy pea devotees and cock-on-a-stick connoisseurs are delighted that the fair has returned to the Forest Recreation Ground after missing out in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. But if you're new to Nottingham you'll have no idea what these two traditions are unless you get yourself down there. The fair runs until Sunday, October 9.
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There's so many different cuisines to choose from along with all the nostalgic fairground favourites that make the fair unique. Here's our whistle-stop guide to what's on offer - and, importantly, how much you can expect to pay this year.
Mushy Peas
Mushy peas and mint sauce are a Goose Fair institution and the perfect comfort food for a chilly or raining October day. Terry Burdett runs the stall started by his father Alf and his friend Walter Pike in 1946.
There's many pretenders out there but this is the real deal. The peas are not out of a tin but cooked the traditional way over hot coals. After being soaked for 24 hours they're cooked in big metal pots behind the stall until mushed to perfection.
Because of the rising cost of peas, the coke used for cooking and rent for the pitch, Terry has had to double the price of a pot of peas from £1.50 in 2019 to £3. "Peas have gone up from a fiver to £18 a bag," he said.
Tornado Potatoes
One of the newer food trends that's appeared at the fair in the last few years is the twirly stack of battered potatoes that's half chip and half crisp. The foot-long spiral - so much better than spiralized courgette - is served on a stick.
The potato comes with different seasonings, such as Mexican chilli, roast chicken, roast beef or simple salt and pepper and can be finished off with a drizzle of sauce - choose from tomato, garlic mayo. and BBQ. The cost of this spud delicacy is £4.
Candy Floss
What's a fair without candy floss? The melt-in-the-mouth confectionary is a must for sweet-toothed fair-goers. Sandra Mayne, of Maidstone, Kent, has been coming to Goose Fair for 30 years and is busy twirling freshly spun clouds of blue, pink and white floss when she's not serving up burgers at the Main Street Diner.
A stick of candy floss will set you back £2.50 or you can have it bagged for £3 or jumbo £5. Traditional toffee apples are also sold at the truck for £2 a pop.
Fish and Chips
There's food from around the world sold at the fair. Lebanese wraps, Caribbean jerk flavours and Greek gyros are on offer but if you fancy a good old-fashioned British staple then seek out Billie Jo's fish and chips.
Chippies have taken a real battering from the rocketing prices of fish, oil, packaging and energy so it's not surprising that a portion of cod and chips at £9 is one of the more expensive ways to fill up at the fair. A portion of chips is £3.50. Scampi and chicken nuggets are also on sale.
Coconuts
A coconut shy used to be one of the side stalls at fairgrounds in bygone days. Punters would throw balls in an attempt to knock coconuts off a row of posts. But it seems a dying tradition - ask any 10-year-old and they wouldn't have a clue.
However, you can still pick up a coconut to take home for £1 or three for £2. Pomegranates, or 'pommies' as they're called, are often sold alongside them, for the same price.
Slush
With its dazzlingly bright pink and purple stand, this one is going to catch the attention of all those young Slush fans out there. While we adults might prefer a steaming hot cup of coffee or something stronger from the Moose Bar (more on that later) the kids don't seem to mind slurping an ice cold drink on a chilly day.
Mix it up with grape, cherry, raspberry, lemon and line and strawberry amongst the flavours. Standard cups are £4, novelty cups £5 and refills £3.
Kebab King
The kings of kebabs are back once again, all the way from Manchester. They've been coming to Goose Fair now for more than 10 years and always prove a fairground favourite.
Choose from chicken tikka, lamb, doner or a combination, served with salad, and sauce, mild, medium or hot. Prices start at £6.60 for a chicken tikka wrap rising to £10 for a double mix wrap.
German Sausages
It doesn't matter whether it's the Christmas Market or Goose Fair, there has to be a German sausage stall with an oversized frying pan filled with bratwurst. If you fancy a sizzling sausage you're looking at £6 for bratwurst, (the large white one) or cheese krakauer (the large red one with melted cheese).
Bockwurst (the small red one, smoked and boiled) and Currywurst (the large white one with curry ketchup) are both £7. Add pomme frites for a further £3.
Belgium Chocolate Treats
It takes an immense amount of willpower to walk past this stall without succumbing to one of the heavenly chocolate cupcakes. The chocolate sponges are topped with even more choccy yumminess in the shape of chocolate orange segments, Freddos and Oreos, as well as marshmallows, Biscoff and fudge.
At £3.50 it's one of the most reasonably priced food stands. Aside from the cupcakes, there's a blast of fairground nostalgia from decades ago with brandy snaps and Grantham gingerbread, priced at two for a fiver.
Burgers
There's no shortage of burger vans dotted around the site. Chefs' Grill is located on the main strip of food and drink stands. Here you will find a standard burger for £4.50, or add cheese for a further 50p. The classic, served with onions, cheese and bacon comes to £6 while chill heads can spice it up with the Diablo with jalapenos and hot chilli sauce, also £6.
A half-pound steak burger will set you back £7, or you can get your chops around a hot dog for £4.50. There's a mushroom deluxe burger on the menu for £6.50 that you'd presume is aimed at vegetarians but strangely the small print states it's served with bacon.
Chinese street food
When I think of fairground food, I don't immediately think of sweet and sour chicken. But if you're partial to a taste of Chinatown head to the New York Noodle stall decked out with red Chinese lanterns.
You'll find beef in black bean sauce, Thai green chicken curry, Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken and butterfly king prawns, priced £9. Veggie or chicken noodles are £8 and spring rolls £3.
The carvery
What's not to love about a traditional hot roast pork bap... apart from the fact they really ought to call it a cob. Don't you know you're in Nottinum mi ducks?
That aside you'll find a deliciously filling cob packed with pork, Paxo stuffing, homemade apple sauce and Bisto gravy for £6. Next year can we have a roast potato stall next door please then life would be complete?
Cock-on-a-stick
Since it's Goose Fair you'd expect it to be goose-on-a-stick but the joke would be lost. Newcomers to the fair are always a little taken aback until they realise the famous cock-on-a-stick is a cheeky lollipop in the shape of a cockerel.
Stallholder Ray Brooks, who is fast approaching 92, has been making the the tongue-in-cheek confectionary for decades and despite vowing to retire after the last event in 2019 he's back once again. You can get a small lollipop for £1.60 but if you want a giant one £4.50. No sniggering at the back.
Doughnuts
One of the must-eat foods at the fair is a doughnut but it's a shame the minimum you can buy is four when you just want one. Doughnuts have been pimped up by the likes of Krispy Kreme, Dunkin', Doughnotts and Project D but at the end of the day a hot sugary doughnut fresh from the fryer is one of life's simple pleasures.
It's £4 for four doughnuts with sugar or cinnamon or a fiver with Nutella. Crepes and waffles are also available from Just Desserts.
Moose Bar
If you fancy a tipple to calm your nerves after all the thrills and spills of those white knuckle rides - or simply to take refuge from the rain - the Moose Bar is the place to be. The wooden chalet, which takes its name from the giant moose head dominating the frontage, has cosy booths with gingham curtained 'windows' overlooking snow-capped mountains and cattle.
Better dig deep. A pint of Peroni, John Smiths or Birra Moretti will set you back £6.60. A bottle of Bud is £4 or Corona £4.50. A 175ml glass of wine is £8 but if you really want to splash out a bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne is £80. Spirits are £6 with a mixer. Soft drinks such as coke and lemonade are £5 a pint.
Fudge
The fudge is as colourful as the flashing lights of the rides. Fulfil your fudge fantasy with flavours such as Jaffa Cake, Nutella and bubblegum or stick to traditional vanilla. A 100g bag costs £2.89.
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