I have very mixed feelings about the Christmas market at St Andrew Square, this year. The Spurtle put it rather well in their recent article.

For the food stalls around the square, it’s a bit of a gamble as the rent on pitches is pretty chunky. It was good to see a first-time trader in amongst some more familiar and established players – Whitmuir, Laughing Stock and others – in the shape of Meat Hook.

Showcasing hot dogs made from local Scottish lamb, beef and pork, this sounded a pretty good idea to me. Their Scottie Dog is doing brisk business, apparently, but I was drawn in by a Moroccan spiced one called Rock the Kasbah (£4.80). I added a warm potato salad (£1.50) for good measure.

Cooking everything to order means there’s a little wait while things are prepared, but this was fair enough. Both items were served simply of a piece of waxed paper. This was a bit of a logistical challenge, but there was a free table nearby so I could quickly sit down and start munching.

The merguez hot dog packed good flavour and the brioche bun had a lovely lightness to it. The star was the potato salad, which was packed with aromatic fresh mint, lovely crunch from spring onions, and nice tang from a mustard vinaigrette. It was really good.

The only real gripe I had with the place was pricing the fried onions (£1) and condiments (50p) as additional items, when they could readily have been included in the overall price of the hot dogs. Such are the pressures of high-rent pitches, I suppose, but this detail is likely to annoy a good number of patrons.

So overall, I was well impressed with Meat Hook. The potato salad was first rate and the hot dog was prepared to a really good standard, too. The minimalist packaging may prove a challenge to handle at busier times, but it’s a place that’s certainly worth a visit when you’re visiting the festive fun.