The Good Food Show Winter
On Saturday I went to the wonderful as always Good Food Show at the NEC Birmingham.
It was amazing! Busy, but amazing.
If you don’t know what it is, it’s an exhibition
full of stands, with everything ranging from Gourmet Popcorn, to
Snowdonia Cheese; Xuxu strawberry vodka to deliciously refreshing aloe
vera drinks. It’s the place for foodies to go and try
everything and anything and just a great day out!
I usually go to the summer show, as the
gardening show is also on, but it was nice seeing different foods and
new areas at the winter show. New this year, they had a Cakes and Bakes
Village as well as an Eat Well section… I hope you know
which area I preferred!
Anyway, introduction over – here’s a link to the site if you want a bit more info or fancy visiting one of their shows :) - but what I really wanted
to share with you today was my top 10 tips for visiting these shows –
it is of course written for the food show, but they also transfer to
other exhibitions I’m sure
The Winter Good Food Show Top 10 Tips
Buy heavy things first
Ok, so you’ve done your research and you are
going to the show to grab a bargain, right? You decide that you will
leave this purchase to last. After all you don’t want to carry it around
all day so you’ll pick it up last thing…wrong. Buy
heavy things first, grab them and take them back to the car. You don’t
even have to carry it, bring a trolley from home, one of those little
shopper ones like this, plonk it in there and take it to the car. You
might think that carting it around all day might
not be too bad an idea, but just get it out of the way. It’s busy,
people might trip over your trolley and what’s more, one of your hands
isn’t free for grabbing samples and general money-goods transactions.
If you want it… grab it
This is especially true for goody bags and
offers. It isn’t guaranteed that exhibition stands will reduce their
prices at the end of the day, especially because they have already got
some great deals on so don’t miss out on the things that
you want, grab them while you can. Furthermore, stock is managed so
that there is enough for each day of the show. Saturday is usually the
busiest day so you would expect stall holders to account for this, but
that is not always true so it is so important
to get there early and get those offers! If you want the magazine goody
bags I would also grab these first thing with the heavy items, books
are also heavy so they are great to put back in the car.
If you are unsure of something, leave it
If you are having second thoughts about an item,
come back later. If you forget about it, maybe you don’t want it as
much as you thought. It might be a great offer, but what good is
something if you are not going to use it? Also, if you
do want it after a bit of a walk around, go back and bargain. There is
nothing to be ashamed of and if you get an even better deal – that’s
great!
Plan meeting celebs at book signings
It is very unlikely that you can catch a celeb
at the show for an autograph or picture. It is such a busy place and the
celebs have shows to attend and places to be so they often can’t stop
for large groups. The best way to catch your favourite
chef or TV personality is at book signings. Yes, you might have to buy a
book, but they are often on offer and you are pretty much guaranteed to
have a personal message and photograph!
Charity drop off points are cheaper than the official cloak rooms
If your car is miles away and you’re starting to
get a bit tired, a cloak room is a great idea. However, the first one
you see is usually in the foyer and will cost you more than the one in
the exhibition itself. I dropped off some of my
bags at the Guide Dogs Charity drop off point and for a donation of
your choice, you can leave your things safely, help charity and take a
load off your back
Plan sit down stops around cooking demos
It is very likely that you will get tired. You
are walking around all day, shopping and trying to avoid the people that
push for a free sample. Plan your day in advance and time some sit
downs around cooking demos. These are usually done
by well-known chefs and along with recipe ideas and tips, they usually
give away free goodies and photo opportunities at the end.
Don’t be afraid to ask for testers and bargain the price
Sometimes, the tasters are reserved behind the
counter. Many people see free food, grab it and go. However, if you are
genuinely interested in the product, you should be able to taste it and
try before you buy. Just ask! Also, if you are
looking to buy a few items, say a case of champagne or boxes of items,
this is the best time to bargain.
Don’t waste time
I know this sounds harsh, but I saw a lot of
people at a popular high street store stand. It had an offer of 10% off
Kitchenaid mixers, but other than that there were no other show offers
and the stall was heaving! If you are just having
a look around, don’t waste your time at an everyday store – grab those
things another day!
Take advantage of buy now, collect later
This is a great option for you if you don’t want
to carry things around with you like heavier items, but also most
effective for foods that have to be refrigerated. People sell all sorts
including sausages, so leaving items refrigerated
is a great idea, just don’t forget to pick them up!
Grab meals at the show before or after lunch
Lunch time is so busy at food stalls for obvious
reasons. The queues are longest at this time, but avoid them by eating a
little earlier or later
Try something new
There are so many food stalls and hundreds of
tasters on offer. Whether you want to try an oyster, some smoked garlic,
truffle or just some artisan bread there is so much to try and it’s
free so you might as well give it a go – you might
love it!
Research and check price of big purchases before the show
If you are interested in buying an appliance or a
large, expensive item it is best to do a little research before you
spend a lot of money on something that you might not later use.
Bonus Tip!
It will be busy, keep calm and don’t wear too
many layers as it is hot due to all the people and walking around.
Furthermore, large groups are difficult to keep a track of – 2 or 3
people can be found a lot more easily when it is so busy
I hope that you have a look at the shows and
consider going to one. I absolutely love them and I am never bored.
James Martin has been to every Good Food Show (that’s 20 years worth)
and if you are a foodie, that’s surely sign enough that
you will love it too!?
If you have ever been to one of these shows I’d love to know what you think of them, have you got any more tips? Let me know
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