This week I schlepped to Excel. And what a schlepp! Too much of a princess to negotiate several changes of public transport, I circumnavigated the M25. Far less PC, but it meant more noshing and less travel time.
The reason for the eastwards pilgrimage was a mooch around the UK’s biggest food and drink trade exhibition, IFE 2017. It happens once every two years and it massive. So massive that even after I’d pounded my bunions for six solid hours, I’d barely scratched the surface.
Exhibitors fly in from all over the world hoping to sell into our market. Apparently the Brits consume 33% of the European snack market. We’re renowned for our fressing.
I spotted a few of my favourite foodies, like the lovely Ramona Hazan, founder of Me Too foods. Her hummus is superb. She was rocking a seriously large stand packed with her range of kosher falafels, hummus, soups, sauces and salads. At 10am it was too early even for me to sample but it all looked delicious.
Highlights of my visit were meeting Cesar Roden, nephew of the wonderful Claudia Roden and founder of The Ice Kitchen, a range of gourmet ice lollies. My colleague tested their Mojito flavour — complete with rum (check this) — which went down a storm. I picked peach and hibiscus, a deep purple coloured, refreshing lolly with a thick slice of peach at the heart of it. Look out for his lollies at Cook stores and in Wholefoods. Check here for up to date stockist information.
Another revelation was Joe and Seph’s gourmet popcorn. It’s not new but I’ve never actually tasted it. Founder, Joseph Sephora, offered up a range of their large flavour selection which ranges from the sweet end of the spectrum — classic caramel or vanilla cheesecake — to the more outlandish — blue cheese, walnut and celery or gin and tonic. The flavour that totally wowed me was Marmite. Goodness me! A bag wouldn’t last five minutes in my clutches! It was salty, sweet and mouth-wateringly moreish. I’m still chalashing a bag.
From behind the counter Sephora produced a bag of what he called Sephardi Pesach popcorn. “It’s actually date and walnut” he explained. “I’m Sephardi and we’re allowed to eat corn at Pesach. Our charoset is basically made from dates syrup and walnuts so the flavours are very traditional for us — hence its nickname.”
Ashkenazi Passover rules mean it’s not on my Pesach snack list, but I’ll seek it out post-Passover.
I found a few stalls (including Ramona's) proudly showing a KLBD board — more on the yummy kosher nosh I found later this week.
