Discover all the festive highlights from my visit to the 2025 edition of the Good Food Show Winter at the Birmingham NEC.
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When the BBC Good Food Show opens at the NEC each November, it really feels like Christmas is just around the corner.
I haven’t been to the show for a few years for various reasons, and I was feeling in the need of an extra dose of festive spirit. So, I headed down the M6 to the Birmingham NEC to take a look around on the show’s opening day.
I had a fabulous time exploring the stands and sampling the words – read on to discover all my favourite finds.
A Foodie Day Out
The Good Food Show is always a fantastic day out for foodies. There’s a massive selection of stalls to explore, and I love spotting some of the more elaborate stands like the Fentimans van above. That certainly has to be one of the prettiest stands I’ve seen in a while.
You can watch some of your favourite food experts and chefs cooking up festive dishes live on the Big Kitchen stage. This year’s line-up included Michel Roux, Lisa Faulkner and Hairy Biker Si King among others.
There’s also the chance to get a cookbook signed by one of the chefs. That would make a fantastic present for a foodie friend or you could keep it as a treat for yourself!
One of the best things about visiting the Good Food Show is the opportunity to talk to the people behind the company name.
The producers are always keen to chat with visitors about their products, so you can learn more about the different, learn more about how the products were developed and how to get the best out of your purchases.
There are always plenty of samples on offer, although this year I found that you had to ask for samples at most of the stands. In previous years, most of the samples have been set out on the stands for you to help yourself, but I think I prefer it this way.
Learn something new
The Good Food Show also offers a range of workshops and masterclasses to add an extra dimension to your day.
Topics I spotted ranged from wine tasting and healthy eating to preparing the perfect Christmas dinner and decorating your Christmas table with flair.
Festive shopping
This is where the real fun starts!
The Good Food Show Winter is a fantastic place to tick off your Christmas shopping list. There are hundreds of big brands and artisan producers to choose from, so you’re sure to find some great Christmas present ideas.
Here are a few of the gift ideas that caught my eye during my visit, starting with the cute little Christmas pudding bottles above.
This Christmas Pwd liqueur from the Celtic Sprit Co. is made with a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries and other secret ingredients steeped in brandy. It’s the perfect Christmas tipple and would make a lovely Christmas stocking filler for adults.
Another boozy gift idea was on display at the Seven Sons stand.
They offer a range of blended whiskies and single malts, and they’re available in full bottles or little miniatures.
I absolutely fell in love with these darling Christmas tree ornaments on the Broadlands Pottery stand. They had a wide variety of designs including Christmas trees with initials on, cute snowmen and angels.
I treated myself to a little dog bone ornament with the name of my much-missed Chihuahua, Charlie. He’ll always be on my Christmas tree now!
I also picked up some jars of small-batch chutney from Miam and a bottle of Shanky’s Whip liqueur.
It’s a delicious, smooth whiskey liqueur made in Cavan, Ireland. It tastes like a certain famous Irish liqueur but without the cream. That’s certainly going to be popular over Christmas!
Food to Go
With all the samples to try, I wasn’t incredibly hungry at lunchtime, so I just grabbed a quick pork souvlaki wrap from one of the food stands dotted around the hall.
There was no chance of finding a spare seat anywhere, so I just found a quiet spot on the floor and dug in.
Messy? Sure, but it tasted delicious!
I also picked up some giant jam doughnuts from the J&S Artisans stand. The photo above really doesn’t do their bakes justice – the doughnuts were about the size of my head and they tasted amazing!
I had a fantastic day out at the 2025 Good Food Show Winter. I can’t wait to return to the Birmingham NEC for Gardeners World Live and the Good Food Show next summer!