From Margaritas to Bouquets: A Brilliant Day at the BBC Good Food Show
Yesterday, my friend and I headed to the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham for what turned out to be a brilliant day packed with food, drinks, inspiration, and a few unexpected surprises!
We arrived at around 10:30am and kicked off the day with a cocktail masterclass at the Princess Cruises Cocktail Club, hosted by mixologist Andy Clarke. The first cocktail we made was the 24K Margarita Experience, a signature drink served onboard Princess Cruises. Made with award-winning Pantalones Organic Tequila, Cointreau, Grand Marnier and margarita mix, it was served over ice in a beautifully salted-rimmed glass. Unsurprisingly, this kicked off our day with a spring in our step!
Our second cocktail was even more visually impressive. Using butterfly pea flower-infused ingredients, we created a vibrant blue cocktail that transformed into a stunning purple-pink shade when lemon juice was added. It felt like a science experiment and a cocktail masterclass rolled into one. Andy was a fantastic host, sharing plenty of tips not just on mixing drinks, but also on presentation and service, proving that the theatre of serving a cocktail is just as important as the taste.
After our cocktail adventures, we headed over to the Big Kitchen stage to watch Joanna Page in a live cooking demonstration with chef Marcus Bean. They whipped up a delicious-looking banoffee pie alongside beautiful scallops served with rich vadouvan butter. Everything looked incredible, and the session was entertaining as well as informative.
After the show, we headed into the BBC Good Food Show area for lunch. There, we decided that a bottle of champagne was the appropriate accompaniment to the occasion. It would have been rude not to!
In the afternoon, we swapped cocktails for flowers and joined a bouquet workshop with The Bearded Botanist. He was an excellent presenter: knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about his craft. We learned about flower selection, structure, and arrangement techniques while creating our own summer bouquets. It was a lovely change of pace and one of the most relaxing parts of the day.
One of my personal highlights was finally visiting 67 Rangoon Kitchen. I had first discovered their incredible chilli oil at the Winchester Chilli and Cheese Festival and immediately regretted not buying any. Seeing the stand at the Good Food Show felt like fate. Not only was I able to stock up, but it was wonderful chatting with the founder, who is genuinely one of the loveliest and most passionate small business owners I’ve met. Her enthusiasm for her products and business is infectious, and it’s always inspiring to support people who put so much heart into what they do.
As the day wound down, we enjoyed a few more cocktails around the NEC before heading for dinner at The Indian Streatery in Birmingham city centre. The food was absolutely fantastic, packed with flavour and beautifully presented. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Birmingham.
And finally, the most unexpected part of the day. Somewhere between the cocktail masterclasses, champagne, flower arranging, and general festival atmosphere, my friend and I somehow ended up becoming the models for the promotional items in the goodie bags. Not something I had on my bingo card when I left the house that morning!
All in all, it was a fantastic day filled with great food, brilliant experiences, inspiring people, and plenty of laughter. The BBC Good Food Show Summer delivered exactly what you’d hope for: a celebration of food, drink, creativity, and the wonderful people behind them.
