The Fantastic Food and Drink Show in Sydney

Premium. Gourmet. Handcrafted. Delicious. Unique. Extraordinary. Fantastic – a few adjectives and superlatives that came your way did you choose to familiarize with the The Fantastic Food and Drink Show, which is a new trade event for the booming specialty food business. Innovative food and beverage producers were to showcase their newest creations along with food artisans, purveyors, importers and entrepreneurs to bring craft and passion to the foods you sell. Co-located with the Naturally Good Expo at the new venue – the International Convention Centre in Sydney –the show blended fresh ideas, the latest trends and new distribution channels with two days of focused buying, selling and education.

More and more Australian farmers are creating their own premium and local brands, and they want to supply direct to retailers and chefs. Taste the Farm, a component of the FFD& NG shows, was a unique opportunity for you to meet these farmers and source premium meat, dairy and other farm-fresh produce. The dedicated area was packed full of up-and-coming artisan producers brimming with passion and entrepreneurial flair.The Fantastic Taste Awards honored the best in specialty food and drink products. The Awards recognised the innovators and game-changers in their respective categories, and provided exposure to thousands of food buyers from supermarkets, specialty retailers, foodservice, distributors, and the press.

Olives of the World was The Olive Experience –an opportunity to learn while sampling a wide variety of olive oils and table olives. It showcased what Australia and the far-flung corners of the world have to offer and guided through what one needs to know about olive oil – from production, through regions, varieties, and types to the final use at your family dinner table.Merely a few meters away, The Specialty Chocolate Showcase gathered the local and international chocolate producers in one place for the visitors to sample gourmet and handmade chocolates, tru?es and confectionery products.A smellier adventure offered itself with The Specialty Cheese Providers area of the show that connected you directly with specialty cheesemakers and suppliers of local and international specialty cheese.In terms of craft beers, artisan handcrafted spirits and specialty wine new varieties such as gluten-free beer or organic wine were proffered at the Craft Beverage Alley, which connected you with craft brewers, distillers and merchants.

The Naturally Good Expo, the biggest trade show in the Southern Hemisphere for Everything Healthy, was held simultaneously and seamlessly fused with the Fantastic Food and Drink Show to showcase everything from packaged foods, ingredients and beverages to natural beauty and living, vitamins and supplements – and for your humble narrator products and suppliers I never knew existed.As questioning the use of harsh ingredients in conventional cosmetics and beauty products is on the rise, this expo offered ample opportunity to see what the established brands and start-ups have on offer in natural and organic beauty products – from organic skincare and non-toxic cosmetics to shampoos, soaps, lotions and other natural toiletries via supplements, herbal remedies and essential oils to eco household and sustainable living products, Naturally Good Expo had it covered when it came to products that are natural, organic, cruelty-free, and that will improve the health of your hide while contributing to a safer environment.

Some standout exhibitors that we came across were:Gelatin Australia is the result of two Aussie brothers. Their Peptipro Super Greens combines Peptipro Collagen with a daily dose of Organic Australian produced greens, young leaves and cold pressed, not juiced to retain full nutrient spectrum and greens that are known to be alkalizing, nutrient dense and loaded with vitamins and minerals. John Joseph rejoice!Let’s have a look at coffee and roasters that love what they do and are bit more than just finding and roasting beans, but bringing people great coffee experiences and see coffee as a part of culture.Since 2002 DC has been committed to roasting specialty coffee. Based in Melbourne, they have incorporated a decidingly artistic edge when it comes to packaging their products and the narratives that underlie them.A future feature on them shall shed lights on their range.Let’s go healthy, shall we?

MetaBuz product developer John Charlick touts his product as a tasty tumeric herbal chai tea, made from quality herbs and manufactured in Western Australia. Cinnamon, turmeric, fennel, black pepper, kelp, stevia and vanilla are combined for a mélange that is much tastier than the sum of the individual ingredients – or turmeric by itself - would suggest.The MetaBuz Ingredients Include: Kelp – Kelps are large brown seaweed grown in underwater forests. Kelp is used extensively in traditional Japanese cuisine. Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is made from the underground stem of a member of the ginger family. It has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly hot, peppery flavour and a mustard smell. Cinnamon –The unique flavour of cinnamon derives from an aromatic essential oil being 0.5-1% of its weight. Cinnamon is used in sweet and savory foods. It imparts a delicate aromatic smell to MetaBuz .Fennel –Fennel seed is an aromatic, anise flavoured spice. It also imparts a delicate aromatic smell to MetaBuz. Black Pepper –Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is the powder from the peppercorn. It is used as a spice and seasoning. Only a trace is added to MetaBuz. Vanilla –Vanilla adds a unique complex flavour to MetaBuz. It is native to Mexico and derives from the bean or seed of the vanilla flower. Stevia –Stevia comes from the leaf of the sunflower family native to America. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia tastes great without the calories of sugar.More into skincare?

An interesting new brand we came about is Native Man:An all-natural, organic and accessible skin-and-shave care line formulated expressly for the physiology of men.Melbourne-based pharmacists created native Man Anderson and Andrew, two clinical-cosmetic alchemists who sought men’s skin care that not only delivered smooth, clarified and freshly shaven skin but also leaves ample room in the wallet. Their products are organic and natural without any needless substances.Wash and Shave is a lightly foaming formula meant to cleanse skin while acting as a shave gel. Peppermint oil delivers a cooling burst while drawing out breakout-causing gunk and oil out of pores. Vitamin C-rich Kakadu Plum boosts detoxification of skin, while Green Tea and Ginger extracts suffuse skin with antioxidant and age-defying benefits.This clear gel transforms into a lightweight low-foaming texture once you apply it and its scent is reminiscent of mandarin and sandalwood.Native Man’s Moisturizer and after-shave uses Kakadu Plum to strike against free radicals and Lemon Myrtle to help tighten pores.What is nice about Native Man’s products is that they are lightweight and satisfying to touch while quickly being absorbed.