It’s the stuff of your dreams: a gingerbread house that is large enough that you can walk inside, look out the windows and consider nibbling (although you shouldn’t) the candy-studded walls.
Each holiday season, the Fairmont San Francisco’s annual gingerbread house draws visitors to the lobby to admire the intricate craftsmanship required to make candy stand upright. Any witch would be proud!
Here are some of the fun details: More than 8,000 gingerbread bricks compose the structure, each one put in place by hand. Pastry folks then “grout” each brick with an egg-white and confectioner’s sugar icing. Nearly 2,000 pounds of candy will be affixed to the walls, and each year the design is a little different with something new added. Perfect place to do your holiday card photo?
Such monumental, edible undertakings of course come with some tasty anecdotes: One year, the lobby lights melted the chocolate covering the roof—which must have been a Willy Wonka fantasy come true for anyone standing under the gutters with their mouth open.
Those of you who already got your year-end bonus and are feeling flush can book a holiday tea or dinner inside the gingerbread house with a two-hour rental for $500 plus required $1,200 food expenditure. Viewing the gingerbread house and walking around inside is free, but you’re encouraged to donate to the Make a Wish foundation. You’ll find a cash donation box near the gingerbread house.
The gingerbread house opens for viewing this year on November 23 with an 11am ribbon cutting ceremony and tree lighting. It remains open through the New Year.
