Can I talk to you about the Fancy Food Show? Can I be completely honest?
In some ways, the Fancy Food Show is a battle between people who want free stuff and vendors who aren’t all that eager to give away free stuff. It’s a bizarre and sometimes troubling experiencing. Take these macarons, for example. Exactly everyone wanted one, and exactly no one got one. It’s the Fancy Food Show, not the Free Food Show. I get it. Don’t get me wrong, I did manage to walk away with my fair share of goodies, but it’s not the free for all you might think it is.
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m too shy. Maybe I need to work on my schmoozing skills. Maybe it was the layers and layers of people clamoring about. I dunno, but the Fancy Food Show made for a memorable, bizarre and overwhelming weekend.
Here are some of the run of the mill details.
The Winter Fancy Food Show is in its 34th year. This year’s winter festivities were held over three monstrous days at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
More than 1,500 exhibitors from 35 countries packed the convention center. Everyone had a badge. There were plenty of dudes in suits acting like they had national security on their minds.
Many producers from different countries banded together in specific areas, creating a sort of united front, if you will. Leave it to the Italians to set up a giant flat screen television playing some sort of heated football match. That combined with the wine and cheese made the Italian section one of the hot places to be. Oh Italy.
More than 50,000 products were on display at the Winter Fancy Food Show. I think I got to about 50 of them. That almost feels like a disgrace. Almost.
If the Fancy Food Show is any indication of how we’ll be eating in the coming year, I’d say we’re all going to stuffing out faces with fancy chocolate, fancy water and lots of tea. Luckily, I don’t think they’re in charge of what we’re actually eating.
I don’t want to make this an advertisement for all of the product I saw during my time at the Fancy Food Show. That’s not really my style. I do want to give you a sense of my experience. Take a look and we’ll talk more about this next week.
The Fancy Food Show is full of people who talk to you with this look on their face. This man just happens to be super passionate about his Galaxy Desserts, mini-fancy-sweet-bites.
The Fancy Food Show is layers and layers of people. Here you’ll see Hint Water. It’s water flavored with the essence of various fruits and vegetables. The trick with Hint is that they don’t use any sweeteners. Just water and essence. If you’re tired of the taste of water… maybe cucumber water will float your boat.
This man is making coffee like it’s his job. Oh… yea… probably is.
My partners in crime at the food show: Simon, Lara and Mitch made all sorts of videos. There is a food tasting video evidence. Lots. Coming soon.
Thanks for letting me share. More next week!
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Those macaroons in the first picture look amaaaazing! Now I want some.
Although it wasn’t the free food show, you can’t show people your delicious looking products and not give them a taste! That’s just cruel.
I agree with ^^^^^^ that photo of the macaroons is incredible. :) Thanks for sharing!!!
Why would they make all that food and NOT give it away, they will just end up throwing it away anyways. Besides, food is made to be eaten! Hello! They should have done it at least in the last half of the last day or something.
stopping by to say congrats on your Weblog nom!
http://2009.bloggies.com/
What a fun experience. Now I want a macaroon!
Cucumber Hint Water is really good! Haha… Loved the pics, looks like fun!
First off I love your blog and visit it often……
As for the Fancy Food Show, I have always wanted to go to one of the food shows, but if I can’t get any tastes…..they can just show their fancy food to someone else then.
Thanks so much for showing us a bit about the Fancy Food Show! It does look really interesting! Besides, anytime I can go to San Francisco is a good time for me—I would have just loved to do that :-)
They are lovely cookies,but they are NOT macaroons but macarons,totally different French cookie.
That’s just cruel to put those macarons on display and not allow any samples. They look amazing!
I went to the National Restaurant Association show a few years ago and the vendors there were more than happy to give away food. I walked away with the biggest tummy and some nausea afterward.
More, more, I want to hear more about your fun at the show. The macaroons look very interesting.
I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been to read this and live vicariously through you!! And I’m with you – the give-me-free-stuff scene is not something I’m cut out for. Looking forward to more!
Looks like it’s fun just to look at all the marvelous goodies. Too bad it’s not free :)
I’ve been to restaurant shows before and honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to taste anything. Believe it or not, they would actually put out “communal” dishes, for lack of a better word. (As if Sterno kills germs.)
Loved the pictures! Can’t wait to read more.
Were those mini “hamburger” macaroons? That’s exaclty what they looked like to me.
Ohhhh, I love the dark blue macarons. They look too smooth and uniform to be the real thing though. Even Pierre Herme’s have tiny almond bumps on them. Maybe that’s why they wouldn’t hand them out?
Oh my…the macarons look incredible! I look forward to hearing more about this. I always wonder how shop owners/buyers manage to work huge trade shows like this and CHA (crafts & hobbies) and TNNA (needlework – knit, crochet, cross-stitch). I mean, if you can’t get to half of the show – how do you know you didn’t miss “The Big WOW!” I’m guessing that, like other, *much* smaller trade shows I’ve been involved with, you “hear the buzz” from other attendees?
I keep scrolling up to look at the macarons again and again and again! :)
That’s funny, I’ve had macarons on the brain for a while now. The top picture is a perfect inspiration to finally make them! It’s too bad I can’t eat chocolate, because those chocolatey ones look amazing…
But, but…what about the dish on the Barefoot Contessa? Did you see her? Did you meet her? Was it thrilling? Was she approachable? C’mon! You promised!
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the show insight, and for sharing photos. I look forward to checking out your video clips too.
I was nearly a part of this year’s show, but decided to sit on it. I make hand-crafted flavored Fleur de Sel salts in Seattle that I sell at a local Farmers market.
Have you ever been to the NY show? If so, is it over-saturated? Any advice that you can offer would be great. Thanks.
If you’re curious about what I do, take a peak:
http://www.secretsalts.com
Cheers,
Janna
Here in Montreal we have the Salon du Passion du Chocolat, which is, as you can imagine, a chocolate free-for-all. I went expecting nothing for free. In fact, we had to buy a sheet of tickets for $10 that we could use to buy samples. But, once I actually entered the convention, free chocolate was thrust upon me like never before…okay, well maybe at grandma’s house, but still. I couldn’t even spend my tickets I was so full from all the free stuff. Despite spending the rest of the day in a chocolate coma, I bought quite a few products, and I think it was a good investment for the companies to give away samples. I wasn’t the only one who left laden with bought goodies.
It looks ah-maaazing! Sounds like a fabulous place to visit :)
Those macarons look darling.
I posted my favorites and misses at my blog and I’ve got to say the biggest miss was the Decowater – did you get that sample? Absolutely ridiculous design for basic filtered water. And did you see the very cool automated shishkababob roaster? BTW, I ate my fill of the macarons :)
We had a chance to go this year, as well, it was fantastic! It was a bit overwhelming at first but by the second day we were into it. Lenny captured tons of video and interviewed some vendors, we cannot wait to get the content online. We are planning on going to New York for the summer one, too, so much fun!
I was thinking about going and decided against it – sounds like I didn’t miss all that much!
I went to the FFS in San Diego and I ate my way thru the whole thing, there were very few vendors who didn’t give out sample. We went all three days and on the last day we came home with soo much stuff. We even sample tequila, margaritas, and steak and caviar. Were you going as a buyer? There is a bit of classicism at these shows. They don’t seem to want to deal with people not buying.
The colors on the macarons on the top are so awesome! I’m looking forward to the videos of the event.
…still, looks like fun..a good day out
How overwhelming! Love your photos though – thanks for braving the crowds to capture them. Congrats on your nomination – it is well-deserved!
Since reading your blog, I am booked to go to the Fancy Food Show in NYC in June. I am so excited. I may jsut have to make some of your cheddar biscuits to come with me on the drive. :)
{ 6 trackbacks }