A Fork in my thinking

As you all know I have been at the Food Bloggers conference for the last 2 days. It was an amazing time and I thoroughly enjoyed myself thank you! I have a few extra kilos around my waist to prove it. Thank you to Allison and her team, it was so superbly organised, count me in for next year.
We had a huge variety of amazing speakers and sponsors - too many to single out but it reminded me how hard people work to make a successful business and the effort they have to make to get on the 'food stage' and be noticed. My ultimate highlights were the NZ Chocolate Festival watching a demonstration making chocolate balloons and chocolate spaghetti and the Master Class on making pastry at the Le Cordon Bleu School. http://www.lecordonbleu.co.nz/ I picked up so many great tips and new ideas.

Chocolate balloon and spaghetti

All the participants were sponsored for a lunch - how generous is that?? Our names were pulled out of the hat and I was wishing, wishing, wishing to be going to one of my favourite places. Confession time - my heart sank just a little when I heard I was going to The Fork and Brewer http://forkandbrewer.co.nz/
as 1. I had not been there so their food was unfamiliar and 2. my thoughts were 'oh right, so we are going to a pub and I am not a pubby person'.
How wrong was I. The decor is quirky and fun and the warmth and the passion for food (and beer) demonstrated by Anton the Chef was to be applauded. I know it was in his interest to come and talk to us, but he went well beyond the call of duty to ensure we felt welcome and to give us the low down on everything he had cooked for us. I chose the duck ham starter and for the main chilli in a corn tortilla. Both were washed down with a (sample size) beer match, and were very, very tasty.

Fork and Brewer chilli

Our group had opted not to have dessert but Anton brought out a tasting plate of Beer & brioche pudding, Chocolate beer cake and coconut marshmallow with beer! Suffice to say all got eaten.

Before we attacked with spoons

To top off our experience Anton gave us a sample jar of Barmite to take home (and not share). Thank you everyone at The Fork and Brewer, I will be back!

My blog is not meant to be a blog for restaurant reviews but foodies can't ignore the goings on during Visa Wellington on a Plate and the Monteith food challenge and the sharing of food and ideas such events bring to the Capital.