We were invited to review the BBC Good Food Summer Show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live which was held from Thursday to Sunday at The NEC in Birmingham. We had a mixed bag in terms of weather but that didn’t stop the outdoor entertainment and stalls, and we found although it was busy that crowds flowed freely through the event, and there was plenty of room and time to see everything. Just keep reading to find out a bit more about what’s on offer at this popular yearly event.
We started off making our way through the beautiful flowers that were displayed and on sale outside the event, in order to make our way into the Halls where we started by checking out the program for the day. We visited on Friday and found it to be already getting quite busy when we arrived at just after 10.30am. The big names of the day that you were able to see and hear talking about food, were the renowned French Chef Raymond Blanc. He was able to be seen within the Big Kitchen which is at an additional charge to your ticket entry. However, if you would rather not pay additional fees there is also the opportunity to see many of the specific days’ special guests from the BBC Good Food Stage, which can be accessed from the main event hall and sits at the side of the many stalls that are dotted about selling food and drinks. Nadia Hussain and Prue Leith (one of the most recent bake-off judges) were also some of the many food guests of the day. There were also other big names such as Mary Berry, Ainsley Harriott, Michel Roux Jr, Dr Rupy Aujla amongst others. Check out what’s on either on the internet prior to the event or grab a program when you arrive, and choose which things you might like to see when you are there.
As well as all the special guests you are able to take a look a the latest food gadgets. One that caught our eye was a beautiful ceramic garlic grater, not only did it grate garlic but also chocolate, parmesan, carrots and pretty much anything you wanted to finely grate. We also were able try some really nice Spanish Olive oil, from La Espanola, at this stand I was a little star struck as the chef was Omar Allibhoy, who I often watch on the Food Network Chanel was showing how this particular oil could be used to make Paella, which we also got to taste! We were also able to take a sample of the oil home. And another thing we found interesting was the fact that we could trace our bottle of oils journey from the olive plant to the olive oil bottle via the Oilography websites. La Espanola have dedicated a page that shows each person who buys a bottle of their oil exactly where it has come from. But this is just one of the many stands at the event where you can witness a food demonstration and more often than not, sample what they have to offer.
We also found many of the stalls sampling varying amounts of Gin and other spirits and even some with wine. Most of these all had small samples on offer for you to try. One that stuck with us on the day was a wine cocktail that we tried made with Yellow Tail Rose wine. It was really light and refreshing and they even had the recipe set up at the side so you could take a photo and attempt to make it again at home. The drinks area was quite big, and there was a considerable amount of spirits on offer. And as with many shows like this, there were special prices available on the day which means that you are able to really bag some bargains, depending on what you are looking for.
Here are some tips to help you with your next trip to the Show :
1) Book your tickets online as it will be cheaper and it will save you queuing up.
2) Parking – You do not need to pay for your parking ticket when you arrive, you can do it just as you leave. You can also pre-book your parking ticket online if you want (for a cheaper rate). But most importantly, please remember to write down where you park your car as its a huge place and after a long day, you may not remember where you parked your car.
3) Depending on where you park, you can either walk, take a private shuttle van for £1 or take the shuttle bus from the parking area to the Exhibition Centre. The busses are free and comes every 10 minutes.
5) Be ready to spend the whole day there as its packed with activities and your ticket will give you access to both shows.
6) If you want to watch your favourite celebrity chef in the Big Kitchen or a Celebrity Gardener in the BBC Gardeners World Live Theatre, then pre-book your ticket to avoid disappointments, as the places are limited and goes on first come first serve basis, and on busy days sells out quite quickly.
7) Bring a large shopping bag or a trolley (plastic trolleys will be on sale on one of the outdoor stalls) as lots of things will be on sale especially if you interested in getting a few exotic plants for your garden on your way back.
Where was BBC Good Food Summer Show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2018 held?
The shows was held at The NEC in Birmingham. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station.
Address: North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT
Tel: 0121 780 4141
Review by : Lex Ward
You may also want to read this:
RHS Tatton Park Flower Show Review
BBC Good Food Summer Show Review
Review : The Baby Show – Bump and Baby Bonanza, The NEC
*We were given complimentary tickets to attend the show. All opinions are our own.
36 comments
What a great event to attend. It looks like there is plenty to inspire any budding cook and great to see so many famous faces supporting the event too. the garden section looks beautiful.
Thanks Fiona, we love heading to both the shows every year as there is so much inspiration and ideas there
I participate in many culinary events or in any case dedicated to the world of food, a pity I missed this one!
Don’t worry Cristina, next one in Birmingham is in Winter and the summer one will be back again next year
the event looks wonderful! i believe it was very inspiring and sure brought a lot of fun! would love to attend too
Hope you do get the chance to attend the event the next time it is on
Oh this event looks amazing. I would love to attend one year. I bet the food was all delicious!
Yes we tasted a lot of different types of food and we loved it
Wow I’m so jealous you got to see Mary Berry! What a cool show to review, I’ll definitely have to check it out.
Hope you do, there were so many famous chefs there, you could see them all at the book signing or live theatre/kitchen shows
This event looks like such a good time! I would have loved to try all the different food stalls – especially the French ones!
You would have totally loved the event Elizabeth, especially if you are a huge foodie
like i said in my facebook comment i so would love to be able to attend an event like this i am a huge fan
Wonderful! Hope you are able to x
Heard lots about Mary Berry, would like to see her live!
She is simply amazing! It so worth meeting her in person
Wow this sounds like an amazing event! I would love to go to something like this.
Hope you do get the chance in the future to travel to a show such as this
This looks like an awesome culinary event. Seems like I’ll witness some awesome cooking skills and techniques.
Yes and lots of big named chefs as well
This culinary event indeed looks exciting. My partner will surely love it.
So glad to hear that, yes hope he does love it
What a fantastic event! I would love to attend a show like this! Sounds like so much fun..thanks for sharing!
Your welcome, hope you do get the chance to attend it in the future
What a brilliant day out – I would love to go to this. How did I not know about it before
Hope you do get a chance to do it Kara, we loved it there, lots to taste, see and participate it
I think the event is amazing! Seems like you really had a good time.
Yes we had a fabulous time there Jasmine, totally loved it
This is a great way to learn and spend some quality time! Love anything related to good food lol
Us too, we are all such big foodies!!
What a fun experience. I would love to be able to attend a show like this. I love cooking shows.
We enjoyed it very much too, its totally worth heading to the show
This sounds like such a fun event to attend. I’m glad that you had so much fun!
Thank you, we did, learn so much and saw so much too
Wow! What a great experience! I’ve attended a couple of food shows and they are always so much fun. I would so love to try all those food items. I would also love to buy those plants for my little garden – they look so beautiful and fresh,
Absolutely!! We love the show too much!