Review: BBC Gardeners’ World Live and Good Food Show Summer 2025*

[Ad-gifted] The BBC Gardener’s World Live and BBC Good Food Show is an amazing and unforgettable food show to attend if you love plants or all things food.  Hosted twice a year at The NEC in Birmingham, once in Summer and again just before Christmas, the show has become extremely popular for those keen to find the latest bargain, trend and to meet their favourite celebrities.

For foodies, expect to come home with new recipe inspiration, tips and tricks from top chefs and experts.  Try to attend their hands-on workshops and partake in the free tastings sessions if you can.  Whilst for garden enthusiast, the event will provide plenty of inspiration to help you recreate and transform your garden into something spectacular! You will also have the opportunity to pick up gardening tips from the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Theatre and shop for unique plants to add to your ever growing collection.

Keep on reading to find out more about what we did there and some tips to help you navigate this amazing event seamlessly.

What did I think of Good Food Show ?

Firstly, it has been a few years since I visited the event and I cannot believe how tired yet excited I felt after the show. Personally for me, I would recommend pre-booking tickets, so that the entry into the event is smooth and no extra queuing is needed to purchase the tickets. Also, if you are booking to attend any private shows or masterclass, seats for these get booked quickly, so I would suggest to get this booked asap.

I tend to start off at the Gardeners’ World Live and have a stroll about to see what I want to buy. There will be lots of exotic plants on sale, so bring along a trolley with you as the pots can get quite heavy. Most of the shops also offer online delivery, so that would be an option if you prefer not to carry the plants with you. I generally tend not to buy anything at this stage, unless they are bulbs which can easily fit into my shopping bag. I next head to the Food Show and then pick up any heavy plant pots after, just before I head to the car, so that I am not pulling the trolley all around the food show as it can be crowded.

There are outdoor stalls at the gardening show selling various garden decorations, furniture as well as garden inspiration to look at. There is also an indoor exhibitors area for the talks, food area as well as plant sellers.

I soon make my way to the Good Food Show, I try not to have a heavy meal before hence will be starving at this point. but fear not, as there will be plenty of brands promoting their products and offering free products for visitors to try. This time around we tried everything from Cornish Cheese Co cheese, Patteson’s Original Chutneys, Nuii Ice-Cream, Bonne Maman cakes and wraps, Jason’s Sourdough toasts to Nonya Secrets curries. There were also lots of alcoholic drink sampling from Shandy Shack, Sagrado Agave Beer ie Cider Alternative, WTF Wine That’s Fruit in a can and whiskies.

Giving out food/drink samples is actually a clever marketing ploy, as I purchased most of the items which I tasted, so it is often a win-win situation for both the brands and us the visitors.

There are also lots of stalls selling various food for you to purchase such as vegan pastries, foccacia breads, tandoori chicken, sausages, Greek gyros, cookies and cakes to eat on site or take back with you, plus plenty of stalls both indoor and outdoor to rest and take a break. So you won’t get hungry!

The show also gives visitors an opportunity to discover new cleaning products and cooking appliances such as pots/pans and kitchen hacks to make cooking easier.

Depending on the day you are attending the show, there are extra session which you can attend for an extra fee such as BBC Gardeners’ World Live Theatre, Workshops, An Audience With…, Meet the Chef Sessions, Book Signing, Cocktail Masterclass or Big Kitchen amongst others. So it is worth booking these in advance to ensure you have your seat booked as the do sell like hot cakes. It is also a great way to meet famous celebrity which you are a fan of.  We managed to get a quick glimpse of Monty Don from Gardeners’ World as he was filming when we were there.

Let me worn you that your feet will be so tired at the end of the day, your shoulder sore from carrying all the items you purchased, your tummy full from trying out new flavours, your mind buzzing from all the ideas, tips and tricks your have just learn and your phone, filled with tons of flower and food photos but it won’t matter, as you would have had the best time ever.  And remember your ticket price gives you access to both the shows!

I am already looking forward to the next show and wondering who will be exhibiting then.

How much do the tickets cost?

Tickets give you entry into both the BBC Gardeners’ World Live and the Good Food Show Summer.

General admission from £29 (adult) and £27 (over 65s)
VIP admission from £100 (adult) and £98 (Over 65s)
Children, from FREE to £14.50
Groups of 10+ save up to 25%

Where will the BBC Gardeners’ World Live and Good Food Show Summer 2025 be held?

The shows will be 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

FAQ

• Pre-order your tickets for smooth entry into the event and you might even get discounted tickets
• Parking – I would also recommend pre-booking your parking as it is cheaper to pay online ie £8 or £10 on the day, you just need to show/scan your QR code on exit. If you are paying for parking at the venue, you do not need to do this on entry, you can do it just before your exit. But most importantly, please remember to take a photo of where you park your car as its a huge place and after a long day, you may not remember where you parked your car.
• Feel free to download their digital show guide as it has everything you need to know before you arrive, including a full map, exhibitor listings, stage schedules and even a sneak peek at some exclusive recipes to whet your appetite.
• There are Free shuttle bus available from the carpark to the venue and vice versa, just remember, there might be a long que. The busses come roughly every 10 minutes. There are also private taxis available if you don’t mind paying extra to get to your car quickly and without hassle
• Bring along a bottle of drinking water as the walk to the venue may take 10-15 minutes or you might need to wait a while for the bus especially on a hot/warm day
• You can also get the train directly into the NEC which can be really convenient if you don’t like being stuck in traffic, especially if there has been an accident on the M6 and this can cause massive jam. There is currently some roadworks hence this delayed out journey by an extra 10 minutes.
• Bring along a large carrier bag for your shopping and a foldable shopping trolley to carry the plant pots. There will be trolleys available on sale at one of the outdoor stalls.
• Be ready to spend the whole day there as its packed with activities and your ticket will give you access to both shows.
• 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.

You may also want to read this:

Review: BBC Good Food Show Summer & BBC Gardeners World Live 2019 

Mother’s Day Brunch Recipe and Clean G Rhubarb (Non-alcoholic) Drink Review

Drink Review & Brownie Recipe: Project #173 Black Cherry Rum

*We were given press tickets to attend the show. All opinions are our own.