No doubt that a certain food writer was a part inspiration in the name of this blog.  It’s been a constant reminder of my intention to live a more balanced life and be as much a home-maker as a working professional.  Almost six years on my “domestic” ambitions have become increasingly important as far as food is concerned.  Growing food, cooking, eating, reading and thinking about food seems to be and ever consuming interest and the primary reason I signed up as a member of the recently formed New Zealand Food Bloggers Association. Last weekend I was lucky enough to travel to Auckland for the weekend to be part of the Inaugural NZ Food Bloggers Conference.

I have to admit I arrived in Auckland slightly worried I might be found out as a fraud amongst a contingent of people who almost exclusively write about food on their blogs including recipe creators, cook book authors, food photographers and specialist food bloggers. I t didn’t take long though for those worries to ebb away as I found myself surrounded by friendly, like-minded people whose sole aim was to immerse themselves in thinking and talking about food and food blogging.  People who have only previously connected by Twitter, Facebook or though reading each others blogs were deep in conversation as those they had been friends for years.  In the words of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables we were kindred spirits.

The driving force behind the event was Auckland Food Blogger Allison Pirrie-Mawer who blogs as peasepudding as a symbolic nod towards her roots in the north of England.  Working with a small group of fellow bloggers they put together a fascinating programme of speakers and arm twisted an amazing number of sponsors, including the venue hosts The Tasting Shed.   It was a small but beautifully formed occasion with speakers on web design, social media, writing, seaweed and food photography with food and wine tasting.  The event finished with an informal reception at a specialist bookshop Cook The Books

Aside from the main event, I was lucky enough to be part of a slumber party hosted by avid foodie and tweeter, @Toast NZ. Mairi opened her home to four Wellingtonians who had travelled up for the conference making us feel very welcome and adding another layer of enjoyable socialising to the weekend. All in all it was a fun weekend where friendships were forged and new ideas gestated. Plans are afoot for another similar event next year.  I feel lucky to have been at this first one and look forward to meeting up again with the Wellington contingent in the not to distant future.

 

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Above left: Allison aka Peasepudding, top right: Mairi aka @Toast NZ delving into her goodie bag, bottom right: snacks in the making at Cook the Books

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Above Left to right, Christina who writes at gninwordon, Kristina aka Plum Kitchen and Rosa aka Mrs Cake

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Food bloggers are unable to resist the temptation to shoot before they consume

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Bron Marshall ran a wonderful session on food photography with top tips on how to light and style food for photography.  As you might imagine this was one of the highlights of my day. Using finding ways to turn dark or unbecoming light into something that makes the food stand out and be appetising.

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It may have been a grey overcast moment on Sunday when Mairi’s house guests visited One Tree Hill for a spot of brunch and sightseeing but it didn’t stop the fun.  For all the serious chat about food, photography and blogging my abiding memory was the laughs we shared. Thanks Ladies for being such marvellous companions!

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Thanks also need to go to the wider contingent of speakers, sponsors and bloggers who made the event such a success.

Conference Attendees Blogroll