The annual German street market is making a welcome return to the city, writes Brett Gibbons.

The countdown to the festive season is signalled by the return of Birmingham’s annual Frankfurt Christmas market with traders already preparing to open for business.

The first stallholders have already begun to arrive from Germany and stalls will commence trading next week.

Now in its 10th year, the Frankfurt Christmas Market is the largest outdoor event of its kind in the UK and has become a huge favourite with city shoppers and visitors from outside the region and abroad.

Based in Victoria Square and New Street, 180 stalls will transform the city centre into a winter wonderland for a four-and-a-half week period.

Visitors can enjoy the delights of German mulled wine (Gluhwein), grilled sausages, vegetarian options, pretzels, German beer, and for those with a sweet tooth, gingerbread, crepes and marzipan sweets.

The Birmingham market has been officially recognised as the biggest authentic German market held outside Germany and Austria and last year attracted an estimated record 3.1 million visitors.

Since it began in 2001, the market has doubled in size and generates millions of pounds for the city’s economy.

Its bars and hot-food stalls have become a popular place for office Christmas parties and stallholders also give leftover and unsold food to a number of charities. Donations of produce such as ham, waffles, sausages, pretzels, vegetables and fruit will go to the King Lodge Children’s Home, the Salvation Army, St Basil’s and Trident Reach.