It is that time of the year again and The Food Show is back in Auckland. I went for the first time last year and it was great so I wanted to check out this year’s show. I went with my friend today and I wanted to share today’s experience because you still have 2 more days left to check out this year’s show.
I’ll share what we got up to, my haul and stalls I recommend checking out.
The Food Show opens at 10am and we were there before the door opened. I think going as early as possible is good because it’s not as crowded. By lunch time, the place is packed.
Since it was early, I wanted/needed a coffee. We went by the Nespresso stall and we were asked if we wanted to be in the Nespresso session. We said yes.
This was the Nespresso Discovery Session. We got to try 3 coffees and a Bluebells Bakery cupcake to enjoy. The session was based around different moments: morning, afternoon and evening. Each moment had a different coffee.
For the morning moment, we tried the Fortissio Lungo which is a long black, the afternoon moment is a Voluto and we added milk froth to make a macchiato. Lastly, we tried the Ristretto Decaffeinato which is decaf coffee paired with the cupcake.
Honestly, today was my first time trying a Nespresso coffee. I have a different machine at home but I really like the variety of coffee flavours/types that you can get. We also learnt about the company’s sustainability. It’s great how you can recycle the capsules.
For lunch, we took part in the Casa Barilla Cooking School.
This is a one-hour session where you watch the executive chef of Barilla, Andrea Tranchero cook Penne Rigate Pasta with Porcini and Button Mushrooms in a Bolognese sauce.
We then cooked it ourselves after watching Andrea and enjoyed the pasta dish as our lunch. It was great. I recommend doing it. The sessions are free but you have to be quick as spaces fill out fast. You also get a goodie bag in the end.
Now I wish I took more photos inside but there was a lot of people and I was carrying bags too. Anyway, in terms of my haul, today’s one is significantly less than last year’s haul. I technically only paid for two items but I got a lot more.
The main thing on my list to buy is Fix & Fogg’s Peanut Butters. They were doing a 2 for $10 deal so I grabbed the honey and dark chocolate. These are so good.
The next one I bought is a year’s subscription to Taste Magazine. It was $29 for the year and you get a pretty sweet goodie bag with a Citta cake tin, chopping board, Food To Live meal planner, two Olive beauty products, 180degrees Oat Crackers and ROAR Watermelon Seeds.
So I only spent $39 today but here are the other things I got:
When you partake in the Casa Barilla Cooking Class, you get a goodie bag which has the apron you cook with, penne pasta, pasta tin and their Bolognese sauce. The apron is great because you can adjust it. We were stoked that we could take it home.
I have a confession to make: I am obsessed with Kumara chips especially Proper Crisps’ kumara crisps. My team at work is also hooked. They’re so good and I talked to Laura from the brand and she gave us a bag. Watch out in a couple of months for a new product too. I’m excited about it!
The Sandwich Thins was a free sample and it would be great for lunches.
Lastly, check out the New World stall. If you have a card or want to sign up, you get a chance to spin the wheel and win a prize. My friend won a great cook book while I got a new lunch container and water bottle. Try your luck because you never know what you’ll get!
As I mentioned at the start, you still have 2 more days to check out The Food Show. It’s on til Sunday and if you love food, I highly recommend going. I’m actually going back tomorrow because I bought tickets but eventually also got free tickets from the lovely PR Shop. I think I have a better strategy for tomorrow and will be able to check out more stalls as I don’t have plans on attending a class or a session.
If you’re going this weekend, here are my top exhibitors to check out besides the ones I’ve mentioned above:
- The Pie Piper & Doornuts
I’ve tried doornuts once and their donuts are amazing. I’m so keen to get more tomorrow.
- Fresh As – they sell freeze dried ingredients and their panna cotta was good.
- House of dumplings – because dumplings haha
- Olivado – the balsamic dressing is so good
Since I’m going again tomorrow, it’s best to check out my Instagram as I update on my Instagram Story throughout the day. If I have a main tip is to bring a big bag/backpack or a trolley.
A Style Collector 
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