This was my first trip to the BBC Good Food show but it was obvious from the outset that many of the clientele had been to previous events. In they poured, armed with substantial shopper trolleys and crates on wheels to depart much later with a hoard of goodies.
I’d accompanied my son and his wife who were working on the World Cheese Awards and was left in charge of my two year old grandson, Huxley. We arrived when it opened and were still there when it closed so I had a great overview of the general flow of the day (as well as sore feet).
I wasn’t sure what I expected to find there, food obviously, and demonstrations, but it was so much more than that and I can see why people come back again and again. There was an entire warren of stands from the big names like Hotpoint and Stoves to small, individual family businesses launching new products.
As well as food you could also buy anything from a dining table and chairs to a bed, a massage chair and a Lexus should you be so inclined. There really was something for everyone. Many of the stalls though offered fantastic food and drink products. I never knew there were so many brands of gin and craft beer available. It was quite an eye opener.
I wandered up and down the aisles watching demonstrations of garlic graters and miracle mops, and enjoyed sampling everything from sausages to ice cream. You could purchase a new set of pans and something to clean them with if you burnt them. It was a great place to buy Christmas presents and I was particularly taken with the 50s style aprons at The Sunday Girl Company. Fabulously fun aprons for mother and daughter – and Grandma!
And of course, you could take out a subscription to Good Food magazine.
If you were to overindulge your credit card Guide Dogs for the Blind offered a shop and drop service to offload your haul to save carrying it around. They were one of many charities represented in the show.
Many of the demonstration areas were ongoing so you could drift around from one to another. Phil Vickery, Lisa Faulkner and Lorraine Pascal all took to the various stages on the first day and Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and the Hairy Bikers were appearing over the weekend.
The best time to go is early when it first begins or late afternoon when the crowds have gone and people are drifting away anxious to avoid the traffic. It was easier to access the stands and you had more time to chat to the exhibitors about their products – and taste them of course.
If you haven’t been to the NEC before it’s a great venue, easy to park with frequent shuttle buses to
and from
the exhibition centre. For those with mobility scooters and wheelchairs and yes, baby buggies, it was easy to get in and out of doors and facilities.
Various Good Food events are held around the country for most of the year so if you do go along be prepared: take a trolley and a credit card.