~ Curious Charlie ~

Good Food & Wine Show - Melbourne 2015 @ Monday, June 22, 2015

Charlie & Co. received tickets from 'The Wog with the Grog' & 'Basil & Chook'.

Every year the 'Good Food & Wine Show' seems to get smaller and less exciting. This year we lost Barilla's pasta workshop and Nescafe was replaced by Jura as the main coffee stand. There was a coffee workshop, a very simple two dish one.

But first we started with a wine workshop at the Cellar Door - Rethink the Pink. Everything taste the same, except the 4th one because it had bubbles. Everything tastes gross and burns. I am not wine person, to which le beau says "More space for me!" in the cellar.

Our 4th Year? We had a wander around, this year there's froyo, though I'm still hoping for the return of 'Dippin' Dots' which was there the first year we went, the year jas saw Maggie Beer and fan girled. :P

I was wondering what those orange grape sized things were, they're tomatoes .

I love Kez's cookies! And these samples were very generous, like half a cookie, 9 cookies in a pack. 3 for $20, I think. They had gluten free too. We got the ones pictured. Regret not buying more because they're $5.50 each in stores. Though I'm not trusted to eat just one :P

RIP Toffee Apples that jas bought but never gave to me.

We get these every year, here and when le beau goes glamping with work.

Chatime 2 for $5 or $3 each, though none of the drinks took my fancy.

I've seen these drinks in asian shops and tried them, not sweet enough and too much flavour, no actual fruit/sugar cane was used in any of these drinks, but they were just $1 each.

The star of the show! Coach House Dairy Milk Chocolate, this one ranks in my top two, along with Phillip Island. Both found at Safeway, though this one only comes in the small sized (pictures) for $3.50+ a bottle. Sadly I didn't have a fridge with me, so only bought two. $3 each or $2 if you like/follow them.

The cheese is not for sale, it's just to go with the waterthin crackers. 4 for $10. I'd get it, but how long will it take me to get through them considering that I live alone. There was a cereal stand, the brand I don't know/recall, cereal samples with milk/yoghurt, I love this size! Wished there were more samples like this. We also got to take a small/travel size box home.

For lunch there were food trucks, mainly ones I never heard of. Would have bought that platter but it has pork and looks like it's designed for two, especially at at price.

Friday's the best day to go, this is what 4pm looks like, they close at 6pm

There was a series of free wine/cider workshops though nothing took my fancy, other than Jura's Ultimate Coffee Masterclass. This is a funny name because I can summarize the happenings in one line: we made tiramisu, and cappuccino - for the purpose of coffee art. It was quick and easy, of course the coffee traveled down the side of my cup. Also my sprinkle was more like a handful, whoops!

I regret not buying these pies, I love pie! Well good ones, these were $10 for 4 I think. Chicken, Leek & Swiss Cheese - Moroccan Lamb - Butter Chicken - Beef Burgundy.

I've over macarons, but aren't these pretty? $2.50-$3 a cookie.

I didn't buy the jam as I didn't like the flavours, but 3 for $10 is a great deal. Much like OMG desserts, 2 + a bag for $5. I've tried them before and didn't like it. Though now I regret not giving them a second chance, especially at that price, but I really don't need another bag.

Tickets that when you misplace you'll forget what they look like :P

We bought a couple things, drinks (4), a syrup for a drink and candy. There was no Maggie Beer stand this year which was disappointing. I forgot to get a picture of Kez's Cookies...

Would I pay to go? No. Luckily I got free tickets from Chook & Basil, and The Wog with the Grog. I feel like it's gone downhill.

What I did like was there was lots of samples to try, especially from Kez's Cookies! Samples to take home, not so much. One from Uncle Toby's. I feel like every year there's a headliner, last year it was Zumbo, but there wasn't one this year.

Do I regret going? No, even though I woke up tired and was a zombie on auto, I also took a nap before and after dinner and canceled a show. No regrets! We tried something new, ate so much unhealthy food, drank chocolate milk from Gippsland and bought some home. But most of all, I have the Raspberry Drops! Every year we get them, and le beau also gets them on school camp or asks someone going to get them.

At the station there as free tomato soup made from concentrate, and cheese toasties! These were perfect on a winter's day, and I'll make them at home soon. :) Le beau's a much better cook though and savories are his area.

Did you go to the show this year? What did you think?