Calling all food lovers!

Today, I attended my favourite foodie event of the year, The Food Show Auckland.

Held at the ASB Showgrounds over four days (Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 July), The Food Show showcases the best in food, drink and kitchen equipment from product owners around the country.

There is so much to sample and buy at The Food Show, you get the opportunity to meet and talk with the owners behind all your favourite brands, experience different foodie zones and EAT, EAT, EAT, which is what I really love about this event! Below, I list my favourite zones, stands and products to buy at The Food Show.

Ticket entry also includes cooking demonstrations by some of your favourite culinary stars at the Cooking Theatre! There will be 19 sessions over the four days, featuring headline cook Annabel Langbein, along with Michael Van de Elzen, Ray McVinnie, Simon Gault, Annabelle White, Nici Wickes, Jonny Schwass and French chef Nicolas Bourgois. Check out the timetable here.

Another great thing about The Food Show is the product specials. This is your opportunity to buy your favourite products at a discounted rate, as many product owners will offer a 2-for-1 deal or something similar. Prior to visiting, I usually make a list of what I would like to purchase on the day and the prices for each product. To save you the time, I have listed my favourite show specials of The Food Show below.

Also, don’t leave without buying/renewing a magazine subscription – my favourites being Taste and Dish! They will have a special deal on their respective magazine and usually this includes a wonderful goodie bag and sometimes, a delectable treat!

Check out my list below for my favourite zones of the day, stands and show specials, along with a string of foodie photos!

ZONES

There are many fun and exciting zones to visit at The Food Show, including the Casa Barilla Cooking School, Artisan Village, Huntley & Palmers Cheese Alley, The Healthy Hub, Ceres Organics Healthy Hub Kitchen, Street Food Alley and Countdown Fresh Market. Check these out in more detail below.

Casa Barilla Cooking School

Wanting to learn the art of simple Italian cooking? Well, then the Casa Barilla Cooking School is just for you! Hosted by Executive Chef Andrea Tranchero, these one-hour interactive pasta masterclasses are hands-on, meaning you get to cook your own pasta dish and taste it afterwards!

Executive Chef Andrea Tranchero

There are five sessions each day (10.30am, 11.45am, 1pm, 2.15pm and 3.45pm) and you get to take home a wonderful Barilla goodie bag! The masterclasses are free when you buy a ticket to The Food Show, but spaces are limited.

I attended the 11.45am session today and it was so much fun! We made Penne Rigate with Italian Sausage, Porcini & Button Mushroom in a Bolognese Sauce. It was simple, yet delicious and very convenient as all the ingredients can be found in the supermarket. If you would like the recipe, let me know!

Penne Rigate with Italian Sausage, Porcini & Button Mushroom in a Bolognese Sauce

Artisan Village

This zone is all about handmade, small-batch and traditional high quality goods all in one place. My favourite stands include:

• Gathered Game X Wild Venison Salami – 100% Wild New Zealand Venison, which comes in four different flavours (mine being the smoked paprika). It’s also dairy and gluten free.
• Milly Molly Bakes – perfect fit baking paper liners which are pre-cut for baking tins. Such a great idea!
• The Macho Mini – Auckland-based cupcake company who specialise in mini cupcakes which are soft and fudgy, with delicious fillings such as raspberry coulis and salted caramel.
• Wild Fennel Co. – gourmet seasonings for your meats and seafood.

Huntley & Palmers Cheese Alley

Cheese, glorious cheese. Head to the Huntly & Palmers Cheese Alley to sample some of the best cheese from makers and suppliers around New Zealand and beyond. My favourite stands include:

• Huntly & Palmers – delicious crackers to accompany your cheese (my favourite are their baked oat thins, which I eat almost every day!)
• Ghiotti European Cheeses – I love their Buffalo Mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano!
• Spring Blue Cheese – I love their organic goat feta and haloumi.
• Mathura YNM Foods – authentic Indian dairy products, i.e. paneer cheese.
• Sheep Milk NZ – if you haven’t tried sheep milk, you’re missing out! It’s sweet, creamy and has a deliciously nutty taste.
• Taste Greece – a small family owned business which makes goat and cow feta, as well as barrel-aged feta – a must try!

Spring Blue Haloumi

The Healthy Hub

Always one of my favourite zones at the Food Show, featuring wholefoods and healthy products. A highlight was seeing Ceres Organics again – they have great show specials (see below under ‘Show Specials’) and many tastings! Stands which I also loved include:

• Bakeworks – Home St. breads – I love their nutritious and gluten free sprouted and paleo breads and pizza bases. Their latest creation is Sprouted Sunflower Paleo Bread, which is absolutely delicious. They have a great Food Show special too (see below).
• CHIA – a beverage made from 90% organic hydrated chia seeds in Nelson, NZ. My favourite flavours are Blackcurrant & Apple, Feijoa & Guava and Mango & Coconut.
• Fix & Fogg – three words: Honey Peanut Butter!
• Kea Cookies – handmade gluten and dairy free biscuits, which are delicious. I love their Hokey Pokey Cookies!
• KOHKOZ – a new stand at The Food Show this year, selling authentic Lebanese hummus, baba ghanoush, garlic dip, falafel and breads.
• Little Bird Unbakery – one of my favourite clean-eating eateries in Auckland. LBU are selling their range of macarons, crackers and juices.
• Sujon Berries – this company was started by two Kiwis, Sue and John (hence the name) who run Australasia’s first and longest berry company. You can buy their berries frozen, powdered, mixed and in capsules. My Mum swears by Sujon’s blackcurrant powder!
• WaHiki – a new brand to The Food Show this year, WaHiki make creamy coconut ice-cream in a variety of flavours.

Home St. Pizza – so delicious!

Ceres Organics Healthy Hub Kitchen

A new zone this year, the Ceres Organics Healthy Hub Kitchen will introduce you to some of the tastiest and healthy ingredients to serve up delicious and nutritious meals, thanks to demonstrations by Nadia Lim, Megan May (Little Bird Organics), Lauren Glucina (Ascension Kitchen), Sarah Tanner (Greenleaf Organics) and Olivia Scott (The Raw Kitchen). There are three demonstrations each day (11am, 1pm and 3pm). Check out the timetable here.

Countdown Fresh Market

If you love fresh fruit and vegetables, then definitely check out this zone. You will find the Countdown stand – recipes and tastings for dishes like chorizo sausage bake, tasty soups and the freshest fruit and vegetables. Other stands include: AS Wilcox Inca Gold Potatoes, FreshWest capsicums, Kaipara Kumara, King Avocado, Leaderbrand Produce (love their beetroot), Turners and Growers (their JAZZ Apples are delicious) and my favourite stand, Meadows Mushrooms – be sure to try some of their homemade dumplings matched with kombucha!

Street Food Alley

Returning to The Food Show this year, the Street Food Alley is a food lover’s paradise! It is the perfect zone to chill out, relax, and have lunch, before heading out back into the action! This year, there’s tacos, Vietnamese, burgers, dumplings, crepes, paella, salami and a food truck dedicated to cheese!

We didn’t have lunch until 2pm (!) and by this time, we were so full, that all I could eat was 4 x Akemi’s gyoza dumplings and an IPA beer from Good George Brewing Co.

Akemi’s Gyoza

Authentic Japanese dumplings in three flavours – pork and garlic chives (my favourite), chicken and prawn and miso and shiitake. All dumplings are served with a homemade ponzu sauce and chili oil. Price: 4 dumplings for $5, 9 dumplings for $10 and a frozen bag of 18 dumplings for $15.

Melt

Raclette cheese. Need I say more? We didn’t actually purchase a meal from Melt, but I just had to share pictures of their raclette and cheese wheel, as below. Drooling!

STANDS

Other stands which I loved (not mentioned above) – there were over 270 exhibitors!:

• Jenny’s Kitchen Tamarind Chutney – one of my favourite NZ products and the most divine chutney you will ever eat. I love spreading it on pizza, adding it to my meals or just eating it out of the jar. This is a must try at the Food Show! Here’s a pizza recipe to get you drooling…
• Fresh As – they make freeze dried fruit and powders, and they have two new products – Raspberry Panacotta and Black Doris Plum Panacotta! Simply add two ingredients and you’re good to go! Also, don’t forget to pick up one (or five) of their recipe cards.
• Marcel’s – delicious homemade gluten free crepes, hotcakes and blini. These are so convenient as all you have to do is reheat and then add your toppings – I like chocolate spread, caramel sauce and pure maple syrup! They have a great show special – see below!
• 1907 Water is naturally alkaline bottled artesian water and saved the day, when I realised I hadn’t packed a drink bottle! Hydration is key at The Food Show, plus it gets super hot and stuffy when you’re carrying loads of bags round!
• The Pie Piper & Doornuts – run by the amazingly talented Danielle and Suzanne, who make American style pies, donuts and all things sweet and wonderful. They have a cute shop on K’Road serving the like. Think maple bacon donuts, s’mores tart, rocky road pie, key lime pie… yum!
• House of Dumplings – I first tried these dumplings at the Seafood Festival two years ago. They are all handcrafted and taste heavenly. My favourites are the Korean Sesame Beef Sprouts and Nepalese Spiced Lamb! ($2.50 each).
• Pic’s Peanut Butter – who doesn’t love Pic’s? It’s great on toast, on bagels, in smoothies, swirled through ice cream….
• Queen Anne Chocolates – I love Queen Anne. Based in Christchurch, Queen Anne make a range of chocolates with fluffy marshmallow inside. Absolute heaven. Their latest creation is Marshmallow Bars, which I bought one too many of!
• Silver Fern Farms – in my opinion, this is the best quality New Zealand lamb, beef and venison. It is however expensive, so I only have it on special occasions. They do have some great show specials. See below!
• Zebra International – selling Freshpak Rooibos, which is my favourite tea!
• Taste Magazine – I always update my subscription for Taste at The Food Show, because it is a great deal (12 issues for $58), which also includes a goodie bag!

Raspberry Panacotta

 

SHOW SPECIALS

Below are a list of my favourite show specials for some great products:

– Jenny’s Kitchen Tamarind Chutney aka the most divine chutney you will ever eat! Special: 2 jars for $20. (Retail price: $14 each)
– Meadows Mushrooms have a great special! 3 for $5 for their Chef’s choice mixed mushroom medley. (Retail price: $5.49 each – such a steal!)
– Fresh As are selling their freeze dried fruits and powders. Special: 4 x new panacotta powder mix for $10.
– Little Bird Unbakery are selling their macaroons and crackers for $10 each, otherwise 2 for $15 and their grawnola for $15 each or 2 for $25. (Retail prices: $11.75 for macaroons, crackers around $11 and $17.90 for grawnola).
– Yocomo makes coconut yoghurt and is offering a great deal: 2 small yoghurts, 2 large yoghurts, a chiller bag and the chance to win a trip to Fiji!
– KOHKOZ – authentic Lebanese hummus, baba ghanoush, garlic dip, falafel and breads. Special: 1 dip + 1 falafel pack + pita bread for $15
– Sujon Berries blackcurrant powder is great on porridge or cereal. Special: $30 for 180g pack, $60 for 500g pack. (Retail price for the 180g pack is $30!)
– CHIA drinks have a great special – 1 bottle for $4 or 3 bottles for $10 or 4 bottles for $12 (I went with the latter!)
– House of Dumplings aka one of my favourite dumpling brand are selling their special sauce pack (Chili Oil and Mum’s Sauce) – both for $25.
– Fix & Fogg’s latest product is honey peanut butter and this, among all their other nut butters are on special for 2 for $10.
– Spring Blue make the most delicious haloumi and feta. Special: 3 products for $10.
– Huntly & Palmers make the best crackers ever! Special: 2 products for $5, plus receive a free packet of buckwheat and millet rice crackers.
– Inca Fe is all about coffee! You can purchase takeaway coffees for $4 each. Special: 2 bags of coffee for $14.
– Pic’s Peanut Butter are selling their 380g peanut butter jars for 2 for $10, their almond and cashew butters for 2 for $15 and their 1kg jar for $15. (Retail prices are $6.50 for peanut butter and $18.50 for 1kg). AND, $11 for their cashew and almond butters, so this is a great special!
– Queen Anne Chocolates have a new product (as mentioned above) which is their Chocolate Marshmallow Bars. Amazing. Special: 2 bars for $5, 3 bars for $7 (otherwise they are $3 each)
– Gathered Game sell premium venison sticks and salami. Special: Sliced venison packs for $13 and deer sticks for $10.
– Zebra International – Rooibos Tea aka my favourite tea! Special: 40g pk $3.50 or 2 for $6, 80pk for $6 or 2 for $10.
– Bakeworks and Home St. are selling their pizza bases (2pk) for $6, bread for $6 and their new paleo bread for $8. (Retail prices are $8 for pizza bases and $10.50 for bread).
– Marcel’s make delicious, ready to eat hotcakes, crepes and blini. Special: 1 pack for $3, 2 packs for $5 (includes everything in their range). Great deal!
– Silver Fern Farms make quality New Zealand lamb, beef and venison. Special: 3 for $32 (includes 7 choices), 3 for $42 (includes 6 choices) and 3 for $52 (includes 3 choices).
– Ceres Organics offers a range of specials, including: 3 packets of rice crackers for $5, 3 packets coconut smiles for $6, 3 packets of seaweed for $5, and so much more!
– Taste Magazine is my favourite foodie mag and is offering a great deal on their subscription, $58 for 12 issues (2 year subscription), PLUS a goodie bag!
– Dish Magazine is also offering a subscription show special ($38 for six issues), which comes with a bottle of wine and a wonderful goodie bag.

If you have any questions about the products, feel free to ask! If you are heading to the show this weekend, have a fabulous time!

All the details…

The Food Show Auckland
Dates Thursday 27 July to Sunday 30 July 2017
Times Thursday to Saturday (10am to 6pm) and Sunday (10am to 5pm)
Venue ASB Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Greenlane
Tickets Online ($26) otherwise at the gate ($28), $14 for under 12s, under 5s are free
Parking $10 at the gate (cash only), or you could Uber like we did!
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