A faded shell of former glory (or something like that)

And so to the BBC Good Food Show... still good fun but not half as good as it used to be...

Less of the earnest organic-wholefood-vegan-green-eco than before ("organic" is reported to now be a turn off)

The gadget section is smaller - mostly just knives, fewer appliance manufacturers and not so many pots-and-pans.

Supermarkets - well there was Morrissons, Sainsbury and M&S

A very nice stand from Orkney - we chatted about the impact of that beached liner of a Tesco, the dominance of Tunnocks, the ferry to Raasay and the gentlemen who run "The West End"

The "restaurant court" was missing and the drinks side was way down anyway in between Buffalo Burgers to start and Ghuka curry after closing time...

The World Cheese Awards

but sadly straight after judging it was all declared "unfit for consumption" - grrrr - I suppose it makes sense what with the cheese having been manhandled and prodded but more likely because of the large number of cheese retailing stands at the show.

Rossmore Oysters - £2 for a large one - absolutely gorgeous!

Seriously the best taste at the show - "seaside in a mouthful" - so many tastes... shame about the unforgivably misleading news reports "Winter Vomit Virus in Oysters" - the tests just show that there is virus - not whether it is of the human infecting type, nor whether the quantities detected are significant.

The Welsh Government!

The badge on the left reads "Sian Hill, Welsh Government" - funny I thought it would take more than two lovely ladies to run the entire country.

Ghurka Fast Food

A rather lonely stand now that the exhibition had closed - but a very nice curry - from Nuneaton so I guess this must be the restaurant - Crossed Khurkris

Does the world really need 5 competing brands of Toffee Vodka - yes indeed!

The show was over but there was still a crowd around this stall - at a competitors the proprietor had made the mistake of recruiting a friend to help - drinking one little sample for every two served to punters - a swaying and almost incoherent friend by six o'clock.

My haul

The solution to my vodka problem (I buy it, I drink it, no problem!) is to buy some really expensive rum, gin and elderflower brandy - my parsimonious nature easily defeating the closet alcoholic... just one tiny glass of an evening.


Links:

http://www.lulin-teas.com/shop/index.php

www.orkneyherring.com

www.buzzardvalley.co.uk

http://www.schoolofartisanfood.org/Default.aspx

www.vestalvodka.com - possibly a step too far in retaining the so much of the taste and essence of the original potato - and I'm not so sure about for terroir vodka.


www.whitleyneill.com

www.steweduk.co.uk - yes 10/10 really good - even better than the pouched "look what we found"

www.delameredairy.co.uk - met the owners - right next to where I first went orienteering

www.emerald-fox.com - not sure I tried this but it looks great

St-Germain Delice De Sureau  - old blokes on bikes still go picking elderflowers from hedgerows

www.galbani.co.uk

www.welshslate.com - plates from slate

There was also a very nice 8 year old rum (nicer than the 12) - Eldorado by Demerera Distillers in Guyana

Best of all... Long Life Microwaveable Irish Coffee by www.irishcreamliqueurs.com - really nice - I thought there would be some compromise - and some "mingling" of cream and coffee - no, not at all - well done