The 17th UpperCrust Food & Wine Show

A Foodie Paradise

The first weekend of December is earmarked for one of the most awaited event of the year, where the best in the world of food and wine come together under one roof, a 30,000 square-foot roof, if we may add! In it’s 17th year, the UpperCrust Food & Wine Show 2019 was, as rightly expected, a mega hit

Text: Shraddha Mishra

December is a time for festivities and all things merry. And ringing in the good times on the very first weekend of this happy month every year is the mega food event—the UpperCrust Food & Wine Show. Bringing to the people of Bombay the best of the culinary world under one roof is the grand event held at the World Trade Centre. Thousands of brands exhibited at the expo, with the best of food, wine, kitchen equipment, international brands and delicious food brings foodies not just from all over the city, state, country but from overseas too!

The 17th edition of the UpperCrust Food & Wine Show was inaugurated by the ever-graceful, ever-stylish, evergreen film actress Zeenat Aman, who confesses to being a big time foodie. Chief Guest Zeenat, along with renowned chef Hemant Oberoi who was Guest of Honour and Publisher Farzana Contractor ceremoniously lit the lamp to inaugurate the three-day event held from 6th to 8th December.

Among food enthusiasts who attended the event were Anu Malik, Seema Khan, Rajiv Kaul, Asharfi Matcheswala, Sabira Merchant, Seema and Jaydeep Mehrotra, Sartaj Noorani, Chef Bhairav Singh, Chef Moshe Shek, Chef Irfan Pabaney, Chef Manish Khanna, Chef Arja Shridhar, CG of USA David Ranz, CG of Argentina Guillermo Devoto and the CG of Vietnam Hoang Tung.

Across the three days, the Expo Centre of the World Trade Centre was abuzz with shoppers excitedly checking out the various stalls as they enjoyed tasting and trying several products newly released in the market. Brands like Licious, Healthy Jackfruit… introduced their new offerings to the visitors, which were very well received.

Tempting stops at the expo were chocolate brands such as Fantasie, Heidi, Paul & Mike and Jindal Cocoa. Sauces, dips and salad dressings from brands like Veeba, East by North East, Damai, as well as a range of products to spice up your kitchen from Spice Drop, Goldiee, Savai and Rich Day were popular among the shoppers. Blue Elephant and Real Thai too showcased their range of authentic Thai spice mixes that make it easier to cook red curry, green curry and other popular dishes at home.

Cast iron cookware from Kitch.In were a home cook’s delight with their range of tava, kadhai, and other equipment that bring back the earthy touch to home food.

The Wine Alley came alive with a fine selection from Sula, Grover Zampa, Rhythm and Rio while Yash Wines  introduced visitors to a whole range of international imports. Other beverage brands like G7 Vietnamese coffee, Sleepy Owl, Granules and Beans, Society and The Good Life Co, and the healthy juice brand Rus Organics made for refreshing additions to shopping bags.

Be it brands that are popular market leaders, renowned international brands or even new products by young entrepreneurs, they all came together to make the Show at the World Trade Centre a shopping paradise for all foodies who returned home with their shopping bags—even strolley suitcases—full of their favourite goodies.

While happy shoppers enjoyed the expo across the three days, cooking enthusiasts enjoyed masterclasses by eminent chefs of the city. Cooking demos ranged from authentic Thai cuisine by Chef Nooror of Blue Elephant, Chinese cuisine by Chef Yuanjhong Jia of ITC Grand Central, Italian recipes by Chef Alessandro Persico of Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Bengali dishes by Chef Saurav Banerjee of Trident Nariman Point, Maharashtrian traditional recipes by Smita Deo, American-Thai fusion dishes by Chef Sahil of TYGR, Mediterranean recipes using Allegro Olive Oil by Amrita Kaur and innovative recipes with US Cranberries by Chef Saransh Goila.

The lawns at WTC came alive with the vibrant food court that offered a delectable variety of cuisines, including Vietnamese pho, Parsi food, Gujarati cuisine and chaat by Soam, biryani, kebabs and shawarma by Jafferbhai’s Delhi Darbar, delicious rolls by Gokul Bite and refreshing sugarcane juice by Hurricane. Wine by the glass offered by Grover Zampa, Rhythm and Rio Spritzers ensured that spirits were high throughout the three-day event.

Since its inception 17 years ago, the Show has grown into a popular brand name. It’s time to mark your calendars and save the date for the bigger, grander 18th UpperCrust Food & Wine Show, the first weekend, that is 4th, 5th and 6th of December 2020.