Twice a year I am lucky enough to be able to visit the BBC Good Food Show (GFS). When I first visited, I found it hard to find anything I could buy or even try, but things have changed MASSIVELY! I thought I would round up the top 5 reasons as to why every vegan, dairy-free or picky-eater should visit the BBC GFS; especially as it is due to return to Birmingham in June.
Fried foods may not be at the top of your list if you are trying to be healthy but they are the tastiest food ever, figures! Zingh Foods offer an array of indian-style fried foods that are all vegan but are a twist on an original. It was the first time I came across the brand but I knew I had to try it out. I tried the Mushroom Kataluma and Potato Samosa. Both had been seasoned really well, not too hot or overpowering but enough to get your tastebuds dancing. They had used a flat mushroom, which is naturally quite watery, so the batter had become a little soggy and made the kataluma a chore to eat after a while. But, the Potato Samosa was amazing! The filling was beautiful but my mother being quite the samosa connoisseur, starting looking at how it was filled and how triangular it was, seriously she's crazy. You could tell the samosa wasn't authentic but it did taste good!
As soon as I get to the NEC, I have to have a ice-cream. I don't know why, I just do. Obviously it has to be sorbet and it's normally of the mango variety. They give you tasters to help you decide, there are 2 options for vegans (raspberry and mango), allergens are listed on the labels of each of the flavours and the prices aren't bad. Why should you miss out?!
Every vegan/vegetarian I know loves Linda McCartney Foods and I finally understand why when I tried out the Veg Chicken-style Paella. It will never be the same as chicken but it was a damn good try! It was also great how there was a list of all on allergens in the samples they were serving and selling. A great alternative and they were selling it dirt cheap!
I started my spread love with Nutella, then my lactose intolerance hit me and Lotus Biscuit Spread came into my life. I can no longer buy that, as I know I will grab it and sit in front of the tv and eat it with my finger, put it on a slice of toast with strawberries, basically any excuse to eat the goddamn amazing stuff. I digress. As I mentioned, I love a good spread on my toast and I was intrigued by this little lot. I have been loving their range of tea but a sugar ban has meant a jar of their Dark Chocolate Spread has stayed in the cupboard. But, I shall be trying it out this weekend because you know, YOLO, so keep abreast of it all on my IG because I'm a big sharer! I was looking on their website and it was amazing just how many products they sell, from various other brands too. I really like the look of the creamed coconut, so that is on the list for payday!
My name is Natasha and I love cake, cookies, biscuits, pudding and anything dessert-like. But as I am on a diet that is dairy-free, it can be hard to find something ready made but Delicious Alchemy has come to the rescue! I discovered the brand for the first time at the BBC Good Food Show and I was not disappointed. All the products are dairy-free, and gluten-free, unfortunately not vegan, and are all pre-made mixes. I went away with most of what was at the stand and I have tried the porridge oats and christmas cake mix so far. They both had easy recipes to follow and tasted amazing. I loved the porridge oats because I was able to take it to work and have it ready to eat in 5 mins max; look how good it looks!
Coconut oil is a staple in EVERY household right now and it doesn't matter how different brands I try, they cannot rival this Vita Coco! It has the best smell, consistency and it has numerous uses, that I am still learning. Whenever I go to the show I stock up because it's cheaper and you get a great looking tote.
I like watching food shows, it relaxes me and gives me ideas all at the same time, as you can see here. Recently, I have been particularly obsessed with Lorraine Pascale's Instagram and website, as she has entered the world of vegan cooking and baking. Thus, I made sure to visit the show on the day that she was in attendance and was able to see her do a cooking demo. She made a light dinner dish and dessert, both vegan. The best part was actually seeing her at Birmingham International Station on the way home, do I look a pure fangirl in the pic below?!
So that is my rundown, what do you think? Do you think the BBC GFS is allergen friendly? Tweet me or comment below.
In the meanwhile, eat well.
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