The launch of Perth’s 2016 Good Food & Wine Show was celebrated with a gorgeous pop up lunch at Lakeside Joondalup with celebrity chefs Gary Mehigan, Alastair Mcleod, Adriano Zumbo, WA’s very own Anna Gare and MKR’s Sammy & Bella on Thursday. I was excited to share a table with Gary Mehigan and Alastair Mcleod amongst old and new friends to celebrate what I love most (after burger boy & junior burger of course) - food. It was a beautifully thought out launch event and my writers who went to the Good Food & Wine Show yesterday highly recommend watching the live cooking demonstrations by these amazing chefs who are not only talented but entertaining. Keep scrolling for what to eat and drink at the 2016 Good Food & Wine Show, my Tania blogs about her day and Karina shares her highlights in pictures.
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What to eat & drink at Perth’s 2016 Good Food & Wine Show
By Tania Connolly
I am impressed with the variety of food, drinks and demonstrations on offer at the 2016 Good Food & Wine Show. The set up at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre has been well thought out with the main stage and food stalls up at one end of the venue, alcohol tasting down the other and plenty of seats available throughout to enjoy both. If you are looking for a way to get out of Perth’s wintery weather then I recommend heading into the city.
Parking is horrendously expensive though convenient at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, but the train could be a cheaper option. I arrived just before 9am Friday and was gobsmacked at the number of people queuing to get in. Once the doors opened the line moved quickly and my senses were soon assaulted!
The smells are what first hit you when you walk in but your eyes are in for a feast as well. As I enter I am offered a free truffle to dip into any sprinkles I choose, at the Dyson stall. Who can resist?
The place fills up rapidly and several stalls have crowds swarming over them. Free samples are swallowed almost before they are placed on a platter but don’t despair because there’s always more. I found the crowds dispersed after only a few minutes and I never waited very long to try anything. I found the roasted capsicum on crusty bread at the Hermes Fine Foods stall delicious and admit I went back for seconds.
But don’t fill up on samples at the Good Food & Wine Show because there is so much to eat. Start off with a 3 course meal at the Maggie Beer stall and for a gold coin donation you can tuck into soup of the day (today it is Minestrone) plus baba ganoush on crackers and ice-cream! Absolute bargain as there is seating specifically for this stall with bread and salt and pepper on the tables.
Next you can’t go past the local Shack who has a Good Food & Wine Show offer of two beef patty sliders with bacon, melted cheese, salad and homemade beetroot relish, chips and aioli dip for $17. Wash it down with a smoothie for $7.
If you prefer a non-meat option then the Kiwi Chef stall sells hot and cold smoked (on the premises) salmon sliders in fried Maori bread (which is also baked on the premises) for $6 each and a King salmon sashimi for $7 or a tasting platter of all three for just $15.
If spicy Moroccan food is more your style then don’t go past the ShakShuka stall and the Chorizo Combination of ShakShuka, Chicken Tajine, sliced chorizo sausage and an organic baguette all on a bed of couscous for $18. On their own the ShakShuka is $12 and the Chicken Tajine is $13. The explosion of flavours is delicious.
I recommend you watch Riki Kaspi demonstrate Moroccan cooking at the Mt Barker Kitchen stall. Her entertaining personality is well worth watching and the food she enhances with her homemade spices is delicious. Grab a seat early to ensure you don’t miss out on the teasers. Once you taste the samples you’ll want to purchase either the Chicken Dukkah Fingers for $10 - Mt Barker chicken dipped in Dukkah with salad and spicy harissa yoghurt, or the Chicken Shawarma, for sale at $13 - Mt Barker chicken in pita bread with tahini, pickled mango sauce and a tangy salad.
If your taste buds don’t want to venture out of their comfort zone then there is always the flavoursome pepperoni or supreme pizza. They are a generous size and you can purchase 1 for $8 or 2 for $10 at La Regina Pizza where you can watch them slide out of the oven.
Or you might fancy a kebab from the Greek St Grill food truck, after a few beverages.
There are so many wines to wash your meals down with from an array of WA wines and Barossa Valley wines plus liqueurs, beers and so much more! If you plan on tasting a few I recommend bringing in your own plastic glass from home as I was told they cost $12 from the merchandising stand plus an extra $7 if you want the lanyard to carry it around your neck. Only a few exhibitors had tiny tasting cups and I only took this photo because I love the Ferguson Valley and this is where they come from!
Enjoy a wine while seated in the main theatre to watch personalities from MasterChef like Gary Mehigan impress with their culinary skills.
For dessert grab a bite of sweet nougat from the Swan Valley Honey Swagman.
A cronut from Bites by D…
Or the strangely named MufNutz - sugary mixture of donut and muffin by Great Temptations Sweet Treats.
And prior to leaving enjoy a coffee from the mobile Silver Stream which can also be hired out as a mobile bar and cafe for any occasion.
Make sure you are prepared to stay for a few hours so you can see and taste everything, or plan to go twice!
The Good Food & Wine Show is in Perth this weekend - entry is from 10am. General admission tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the door or via the Good Food & Wine Show website.
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Karina’s 2016 Good Food & Wine Show highlights
A video posted by Michelle - Perth food blogger (@foodiecravings) on
Disclaimer: foodie cravings was invited to the Good Food and Wine launch event and provided with some Good Food and Wine general admission tickets. All food and wine consumed at the show was personally paid for by my writers. See disclosure policy for further details.
