Food and wine festival is a must visit for any foodie. Lots of yummies are on offer, waiting to be tasted. There are famous chefs, plenty of organic food and healthy snacks. The best part is that I can't belive how most of the food that I have tasted was really good.
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THE COST

I didn't plan on going to this festival but work was canceled so off I went. It was only going to be Yen and her friend going originally but I decided to tag along and crash the party.

At first I was tentative on going. I thought it was just a waste of time and money. Why do I have to pay $30 so businesses can push their products onto me? Read on and find out why I regret not attending previous shows.

Normally it is $30 for adults but if you are early, you can get a deal on Groupon.com.au which can save you almost 50% off the ticket price. One week early is not enough as it will sell out fast. Once it's near the scheduled date, the only option is to buy at the door or online at full price. I recommend buying early.

You can opt to spend more on special shows, get schooled in cooking, have a real famous chef cook for you, lessons on how to make the best cocktails or get into the VIP lounge to do what very important people do. Or, you can be cheap like me and just pay for the admission ticket and taste all the food they have on offer.

That is what this festival is all about anyway, for the businesses to spread the word about their products. If you like it, buy it. They are also much cheaper compared to buying at retail.

THE EXPERIENCE

My overall experience was yummy AF. Seriously, the amount of delicious food that I tasted made up for that $30 I spent on entry fee. I had all types of cheeses, different kinds of organic chips, all kinds of dips, all sorts of yogurts, the best breads, sweets, sausages and others I can't even remember. Food comma at it's best.

The whole place was buzzing with both young and old food lovers. The day we went was a Friday and there was a lot of teenagers in their school uniform. They must have came out for their excursion. For schools to be exposing young children to food, ensures a great future in the industry.

ARRIVE EARLY

We actually got there pretty early, it opened at 10 AM, we arrived at 10:30 AM. The earliest you can is probably the best time to come in.

It wasn't completely empty but there was no queue when taste testing. Arriving early will also ensure that the one you want to take home will still be available.

BRING A BIG BAG

We came in with just a small backpack and later realized that it wasn't enough. There were people bringing trolleys! Needless to say, those people must've been here once or twice before.

Don't make the same mistake we did and bring a bigger bag. We kept buying a lot but had to stop because there was no more room in the backpack.

WATCH OUT FOR THE FAMOUS CHEFS

Depending on the day, you may run into famous chefs such as Kylie Kwong or Heston Blumenthal. Keep an eye out for them, they could just be wandering around and taste testing like us.

You can also attend their shows, some are free of charge, and watch them in awe as they do what they do best. Check with their website goodfood.com.au to see if your favorite chef is doing a show when you visit to avoid disappointments.

DON'T BE SCARED TO TASTE

If you have reservations about taste testing every single stall because you don't want to look cheap, please don't. The businesses are there to spread the word about their products and they want you to eat or drink what they have on offer.

I tasted a stall's every single item they had until I found the best one to buy. In the end we bought two items and I was stuffed. If I didn't like any, I would have just walked away.

Such is the nature of a business. They understand that their products may not appeal to others. When a customer do like it and spends, it's a win-win situation. If I didn't buy then they may have lost a few cents from the few grams that I tasted.

Even if I didn't buy anything but I liked it, then I may end up telling my friends about their products. That is free advertising right there. So, don't be scared of looking like a cheap scrub eating free food. Technically it's not free, you paid for it when you entered.

Getting there

THE LOCATION

Good food and wine festival in Sydney is located at the ICC, Sydney International Convention Centre.

LIGHT RAIL

We picked up our friend from Haberfield, parked somewhere near a light rail station then took a light rail to get to ICC. It is probably the best way to get there with minimal walking.

It does cost a fair bit though, with a return ticket costing $14 each.

TRAIN

The cheapest way is by train and walk it from Central or Townhall station, roughly 10 minutes.

DRIVE

The not so cheap option is probably driving there which is what we always do. The only good thing about driving there is that there aren't much waiting time and of course privacy.

Compared to public transport, you could be waiting a while for the train or bus to come and you might have to interact with other people! Anti-socialist's nightmare.

CAR PARKS

There are parking facilities located around the area which can be expensive in the weekday. Can be cheap during weekends, ranging from $10 to $15 all day parking.

There is also the early bird parking, which you come in early but have to leave late in the afternoon.

So you come in between 6-9 AM and leave between 3 to 6 PM and you will be paying about $15 for the whole day on a weekday.

If you do this, just be informed that Sydney peak hour is between 4 PM to 7 PM during the weekday.

STREET PARKING

Street parking can be cheap if you know where to park. Some streets are really expensive to park, but some can be cheap from $2.70 to $7 peak hour.

Peak hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM.

The cheapest street parking is the one close to the Harbourside shopping center.

Park on Bunn Street or Union Lane and just walk down to ICC which will take about 7-10 minutes.

If you are located in the City already then maybe you can call for an Uber driver, which is so much cheaper than a taxi.

WALK AND BE HEALTHY

There are variety of ways to getting around Sydney. The best, cheapest and healthiest way of exploring is always by walking. Only if you are around the Sydney CBD. Walking from Campbelltown to the City is healthy but might take you a while to get there.