BBC Good Food Show Summer 2013 roundup!

It came and went so quickly! This Weds I was at the BBC Good Food Show for what turned out to be yet another great show! I was lucky enough to be joined by my wonderful Mum – aka Mummy Bites. She went out of her way to embarrass me at every opportunity but then that’s why I love her! We had a great day learning about some of the bursary winners, local producers and more. This weekend sees the show’s climax – The Saturday show has sold out but if you’re thinking of a last minute trip, you can buy tickets on the day – why not head over tomorrow?

After a couple of talks from some really great innovative and up and coming suppliers, we set off to roam the show. Of course we had to go to the Supertheatre for a live cooking demo and this time it was Theo Randall and Tom Kitchin – I was totally thrilled as I’ve been watching them all week on Chefs Protege. Every day you will find chefs and TV celebrities cooking on stages, whether its the Supertheatre, Belling or Masterchef stage so make sure you plan ahead to get a good seat. I was particularly gutted to miss Glynn Purnell who is on stage at the show today.

We also spent time in the producers village, picking up some great show bargains and sampling all that was on offer. As usual, there was a great selection – everything from spices and rubs through to cheese, wine, oils and chillies.

Here’s are my favourites from the show:

Orchard Pigs
With the lovely Robert at the helm, Orchard Pigs is based in Wrexham and they produce a selection of pies, ‘dragon’ eggs and puddings. Their dragon eggs are great! I loved the spicy version. Think cumin, paprika and wonderful spiced pork wrapped around a free range egg. We loved their Tractor Wheel Pies. Similar to a pork pie but with a lighter pastry and less jelly, all the bloggers agreed that these were delicious. (shhhhh… don’t tell my neighbours in Melton Mowbray!). Look out for Robert and his team at other food shows up and down the country.

Edible Ornamentals

My glamorous assistant Mummy Bites!

You may have seen that I’ve posted a couple of recipes recently using Edible Ornamentals Chipotle Chillis. They are based in the Midlands and grow so many varieities of chilli, selling plants, dried, fresh and chutneyed chillis. Their stall was fanstastic, full of plants and colourful bowls of chillis.

Pussy
Yes I know! Still, the lady on the stand told me that it was chosen to shock – and shock it does. In an energy drink world dominated by Red Bull and Monster, they needed something to stand out. This drink was really good, all natural ingredients and very refreshing with hints of gooseberry and apple. It didn’t feel like an ‘energy’ drink in the traditional sense. Look out for it in Tesco and Selfridges.

Spicentice
I’ve spoken about these guys before – Leicester based Spicentice produce wonderful spice kits and rubs. The selection this year was bigger than ever and owner Ketan told me that they are working on new ranges all the time. I picked up a few goodies to test over the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled!

The British Tomato Growers Association
A great stand with a union jack made from tomatoes, these guys had some great tomatoes on display of all shapes, sizes and colours. I picked up some sweet piccolino cherrys and have already demolished most of the punnet!

Jabberwocky
You may remember my previous posts on our search for the Midlands Best Streetfood? Well, the winners of that search were given a pitch at the show – Jabberwocky, Fresh Roots and Ross & Ross. On our way out, Mum and I popped out to Jabberwocky for a toasty for the drive home. You can’t miss their battered old green van. They don’t just do the ‘toasties’ we know and love, they push boundaries with some fantastic combos – go for something sweet, you won’t be dissapointed!

If you weren’t able to attend the Good Food show this year, either because tickets had sold out or because you live too far away, don’t worry, there are more coming up:

• NEC Birmingham 12–16 June 2013
• SECC Scotland 18–20 October 2013
• London Olympia 15–17 November 2013
• NEC Birmingham 27 November–1 December 2013

Finally, having been lucky enough to sit down with both Natalie Coleman, MasterChef champion 2013 and Susy Atkins, Saturday Kitchen and Telegraph wine expert, keep your eyes peeled for interviews – coming soon!

Meeting Natalie Coleman was a highlight of the day!