So, I finally made it to a Good Food and Wine Show (Sydney, 2009). We went on Sunday, and it was not as crowded as I expected, although the Celebrity Theatre session as full, and some of the more popular stalls (ie. the ones with free samples) were fairly busy.We did end up buying a show trolley ($30) to help carry the spoils, and it was worth it, saving our arms and shoulders from certain injury. We did get a lot though, with the Good Taste bag ($10 for 2) and the Luv-a-Duck pack ($50) being very good value, as well as being really heavy.
The spoils are shown below, with Tabitha cat licking her lips at the prospect of food goodies...
But wait, there's more... we picked up some samples of the new Fancy Feast Sensations cat food for Tab, and she is guarding it jealously...
Back at the show, there was lots to see and eat...
Back at the show, there was lots to see and eat...
And while Gordon Ramsay was all over the place, I made sure to get tickets for Matt Moran's cooking demonstration. He made a 3-course meal onstage, consisting of tempura prawns, chicken, chickpeas and chorizo, and a raspberry tart. It was the same meal that was available from the Lindemans Harvest Restaurant onsite.
Matt Moran's show was very entertaining, and he certainly gave some schtick to Gordon Ramsay, vegetarians, Brisbanites, and Gordon Ramsay. Apparently the Ramsay-Moran 'feud' goes both ways. Moran even used Ramsay's cookbook as a potholder (while promoting his own new book which is out in October). Mr Moran seems like a nice guy, and seeing him at the show has piqued my interest in his restaurant, Aria. Maybe soon, we'll visit...
Overall, the show was fun. Lots to see, fairly well organised, and heaps of new products to try. We also bumped into chocolatesuze and onebitemore, which was a nice surprise. Suze recommended a melted chocolate pot from Adora chocolates that had me groaning with bliss!
PS: Manu Feildel (from Ready Steady Cook and other ventures) was demo-ing at the Campbells stand. He is also bliss-worthy!
What a haul! All I purchased was a bottle of plum wine.
ReplyDeleteMissed out on Matt's show and chocolate bliss! The Cookie Couture stand at the end seems to have gotten a lot of exposure on the blogs. Such pretty gingerbread biscuits!
Wow! Check out your haul! Impressive. We were there yesterday as well! Didn't spend that much though, just picked up lots of free samples. hehe! The Matt Moran show was funny, I felt sorry for John (so much pressure!), and that teen boy was kind of annoying! haha.
ReplyDeleteok it was you that we saw then haha i remember the blue trolley bag! betty (betty's bites) and i had 6 bags between us two that we had to haul and lug around! and as soon as i got home i found out the source of all my shoulder pain - a huge bag of splenda, rice bran oil, dried spaghetti, and other odds and ends that i didn't think i'd ever acquire (sippaahh, ovaltinees, "magic rubber", etc). it was all worth it tho!
ReplyDeleteWow that is one impressive haul! That pack of splenda is HUGE! I quite enjoyed Matt Moran's show too.
ReplyDeleteYum! Your spoils look amazing and are really making me regret not making it to the show this year.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ your cat, she's so cute
Great spoils of war! Now I wish I had bought more XD!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to have a bunch of exciting new ingredients to try for dinner this week! It's great that Tabitha gets a new flavour too :)
ReplyDeleteI should have gone to see Matt Moran - I heard all of Gordon's comments and assumed Matt would retaliate. I didn't get to see Manu... I wasn't sure where he was, I assumed it would be easy to find him. P.S. Your show bags look good!
ReplyDeletei'm kicking myself that i didn't bring the trolley - my shoulder was killing me at the end of the day.
ReplyDeletequestion - where was that cupcakes stand? i saw a girl carrying a tray around and was manically trying to look for it with mum but couldn't find it!
anyway, looks like you had a fun day at the show!
Hey Belle,
ReplyDeletedidn't get to see you at the GFW!
Looks like you bought a stack of goodies. I didnt buying anything other that suze's biccies and cucakes.
Hi Simon – I really should label my photos better! Yes, the cookie lady had some lovely designs. I hope cookies overtake cupcakes in the trend stakes soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty – I felt sorry for the hapless boyfriend, too. Imagine being pressured to propose like that! The other guy did well though, scoring a free trip to Singapore.
Hi Trisha – I was cursing others with the trolley cos I kept tripping over them. But thank goodness for ours! And I just looove the magic eraser – it removes scuff marks from walls really well.
Hi Steph – yes, so much Splenda – and we have 2 bags as well. MM’s show was good wasn’t it – he’s quite entertaining.
Hi Minh – I wasn’t going to miss out on all that food! Hopefully you can make it to the show next time.
Hi FFichiban – I wish I had gotten more as well. Though I’d need a semi-trailer to transport it all home...
Hi Arwen – yes, Tab loves the new cat food – it’s very creamy and looks like tuna mayonnaise!
Hi Anita – we just stumbled onto Manu at the Campbell’s stand. Quite a crowd around him, too!
Hi Panda – your haul looked pretty big, too, hehe! And the cupcakes were somewhere in the middle. I was just wandering around until I’d visited everything.
Hi Leona – sorry we missed each other. Suze’s bikkies are worth the effort, aren’t they?
next year i am buying a trolley (and a boy haha!)
ReplyDeletehad soo much stuff, i'd say arnd 15kg?? i duno i suck with weights
and was lugging it back to chinatown, stopping every 5 minutes to have a break i was so dead!
i THINK* i saw you coming out of a show, but then so was a whole crowd so i lost you hehe
hi Betty - Judging by this year's experience, you'll definitely need a boy AND a trolley! And maybe a taxi to take it all home.
ReplyDelete