Have you been to the Winter BBC Good Food Show at the NEC? This year it’s running from Thursday 26th to 29th November 2015. The show is an homage to all things foody – from top producers, unusual independents, famous chefs, publications, brewers and bakers, and french-stick makers. There’s not much going on in food & beverage that won’t be represented.

There will be hundreds of stalls, the wares of many you’ll be able to sample, and once you’ve sampled the award winning cheese and charcuterie, cakes, biscuits, pickles, jams etc. you’ll want to buy some. We always go with the intention of only buying “a couple of bits” – twice we’ve had to buy wheeled trollies whilst there to get our hall of goods home. Partly that’s due to the booze sampling. Craft ales, flavoured vodkas, and small batch booze produced from around the world will be enough to get you in a mood conducive to parting with your cash!

As well as the potential for Christmas gifts and stocking up the larder, a trip to the show is entertaining in itself. There’ll be cookery demonstrations with TV food personalities including Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, Michel Roux Jr., John Whaite, and another twenty or so, and you’ll also be able to pick up a cook-book and get it signed by your chef idol.

We’ve been sent some freebies from the show (see our Reciprocity Agreement) including some smoked garlic from The Garlic Farm. I’ve used a massive clove of it tonight on some lightly sautéed sugar snap peas, and it was sweet, smokey, and delicious. In fact I’m resisting the urge to go and eat more of it on toast – it’s smoked so though not fully cooked it’s soft and mellow.

If you’re going to get tickets be sure to use the discount code “BL15”, which will save you 15% on standard entry tickets (Terms and Conditions apply, see below). Tickets are available from the website here: https://www.bbcgoodfoodshowwinter.com/

Ticket Discount Code Terms and Conditions: 15% off valid on Adult & Over 65s Standard Entry tickets only. Not valid with any other offer. Not valid on VIP or Gold theatre tickets. Offer valid 02/10/15 – 08/11/15. All admin and transactional fees included. 1 Standard Supertheatre seat included with advance tickets, subject to availability. Gold seats available for an extra £2. Not all celebrities appear on all days, see website for details.