This weekend, food and drink lovers from across Scotland (what is the collective noun for a group of Scottish foodies – a “snashter”?) will be descending upon Glasgow, as The BBC Good Food Show Scotland (GFSS) comes to town. I’m very pleased to say that I shall be joining their ranks, in what will be my first visit to this particular culinary festival.
So what might I expect / be looking forward to from the show? Well first off, I think GFSS might be quite different to other large food events I’ve previously attended insofar as it takes place indoors – at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). This may well mean it has less of the “country fare” feel which some outdoor food festivals seem to emanate. This might be a positive thing, as taking place in a dedicated exhibition space is likely to mean that exhibitors at GFSS have more technology on hand to better demonstrate their products and services.
Taking place at the SECC also allows the GFSS to play host to a Supertheatre, which will be home to cookery demonstrations provided by a number of cooks and chefs, the majority of whom will be very familiar to regular viewers of the BBC’s culinary output. I’m delighted to learn that on Friday – the day I shall be attending GFSS – the Supertheatre will feature a Great British Bake Off Masterclass, fronted by none other than Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. This will be a must for me, as I hope to get some tips that may alleviate my frequent baking-related anxiety, as well as helping me to achieve a “good rise” and avoid the dreaded “soggy bottom”…
Another part of the show I anticipate I shall be spending some time visiting is the Producers’ Village, which will feature the very best of local and regional produce from across Scotland. I’m hoping it will mean that I get to sample, first hand, products I have only heard about online or – almost even better – great produce I was previously unaware of. In a really nice touch to this area of the show the GFSS organisers have established a Producers Bursary Award, which will allow selected small artisan producers to exhibit free of charge, giving their products a level of exposure their marketing budgets might not ordinarily be able to secure.
As well as exhibiting, food and drink, GFSS is also ensuring that visitors can sample some “…deliciously satisfying breakfast and lunch dishes from BBC Good Food’s recipe collection” at the BBC Good Food Kitchen. The dishes available include: cardamom butter chicken with Indian cucumber salad; and roast pumpkin and parsnip cassoulet. Diners also have the option of enjoying a glass of specially matched wine with their meal, courtesy of the Kitchen’s sponsor, Hardy’s.
I’m really pleased to note that GFSS isn’t merely about consuming food and drink, but will also be examining important food-related issues, such as food waste. A section of the show will be given over to a team from the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which will be on hand to help visitors make the most of the food they buy, waste less, save money and help the environment at the same time. This is really important in an age of rocketing food prices and diminishing food security, as – shockingly – Scots annually throw away 566,000 tonnes of perfectly edible food, which costs each Scottish household an average of £35 per month!
As you will gather, I’m pretty excited about my wee trip to Glasgow to attend the BBC Good Food Show Scotland – and will report on what I experience there in a future post.
The BBC Good Food Show Scotland takes place at the SECC from 18-20 October 2013. For further information and to obtain tickets, visit http://www.bbcgoodfoodshowscotland.com/
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