Fun fact: I carried about 6kg of meaty weight around with me today.

Was I on an gruelling new exercise regime?

Hell no. I was at The Food Show.

The Food Show Auckland is on now until Sunday and today was the preview day. I visited The Food Show today with Bri DiMattina and Michelle from The Foodie Inc. We didn’t  have a plan of attack aside from a cooking class with Barilla, so we checked out a couple of hours of stalls before heading to the pasta class. Take your time, flock to what interests you. Don’t worry too much about the other stuff. We weaved in and out of stalls, trying and buying. There was plenty that took my fancy and once I started shopping it was hard to stop.

After a sizeable bowl of pasta, I didn’t have room for much else, though I persevered and continued for a few more hours. When I was almost done and had said goodbye to my friends, I snuck back and bought a little bottle of the whisky I’d had my eye on which I’m enjoying now. What a nice way to unwind and take note of the day.

The Food Show is a hub of innovative packaging and branding. If you’re the type of person who is attracted to pretty labels, then there is plenty of packaging porn to keep you entertained. It would probably take days to get though every stall but I think an afternoon is enough to get a good idea and definitely enough time to buy more than I could comfortably carry.

There are amazing show specials and plenty of free samples. I was pleased to see a few of my photography clients and blog collaborators at the show. I still get a kick out of seeing my photography in print, especially blown up large for all to see. That shit never gets old!

Ever the adventurer I was on the look-out for the weirdest item and this would probably go to Home St’s Paleo loaf which contains cricket flour. To be fair though, with only 1% cricket flour, this IS for the faint hearted. I’ve eaten whole crickets (or was it grasshoppers?) in South East Asia so 1% cricket flour is no biggie.

Looking at my haul pics, I bought a lot of meat and cheese. Maybe more meat and cheese than I intended to buy. I didn’t go to The Food Show with a plan but I knew I was low on both meat and cheese and most of the meat I bought is shelf stable which means that in theory it could last a while. I ended up with free range chicken, duck, salmon and lots of dried meat (BTW Mighty Chilli Biltong and Thomson Manuka Wood Smoke Whisky go really well together).

Highlights

• Aoraki Smokehouse – with delicious samples of their hot and cold smoked salmon)
• Good Buzz Kombucha – Gorgeous packaging design, yummy flavours and 110% enthusiasm

Tips for The Food Show:

• Check out the timetable for special events and cooking demonstrations
• While many stalls have EFTPOS, make sure you bring cash, including coins (and money for parking)
• Bring an appetite
• Keep hydrated and your palate cleansed with a bottle of water, though there are plenty of drink samples around if you need
• Bring a sturdy tote and sensible shoes. A chiller bag may come in handy. The Food Show trundlers are available for purchase if you realise you’ve bought more than you can carry, otherwise you can bring your own wheeled trolley if you plan on some serious shopping
• There’s also a coat check where you can drop off your shopping
• If you’re buying something heavy (like bottles of wine), ask if you can pay now and pick up before you leave. Most stalls are happy to hold for you, just don’t forget to pick up!
• Leave your jacket in the car (it gets very warm inside)

Here’s a few photos from my day, just things that struck my fancy, though mostly food porn, packaging porn, typography and illustration.

Disclaimer: I attended The Food Show as a guest.

For more information on The Food Show visit their website www.foodshow.co.nz