FOOD fairs and weekend food markets are a big thing these days, because they are where we usually stumble upon great food finds, mostly homemade and artisanal, that we don’t find in commercial outlets. Cupcakes, cookies, gourmet chocolates, cakes, breads, gourmet jams and spreads, and lots of organic products as well as interesting non-food products.
The BellySima Food Festival, put together by Glorietta in partnership with The Mercato Centrale Group and Our Awesome Planet at the Glorietta Activity Center Palm Drive in the weekend of September 6 to 7, 2014, was one of the most successful food fairs that took place recently. The first ever food fair that the partners organized featuring artisan, gourmet and organic products, BellySima turned out a plethora of healthy food finds, such as Green Bakers’ Malunggay Cookies, Almond Ginger Cookies, and Carrot and Squash Cookies; Gawad Kalinga’s all-natural Purple Leaf and Kick-ass Lemongrass iced teas under the Bayani Brew brand; Cake Avenue Bakeshop’s Carrot Cupcakes and Banana Cupcakes; Briet’s Dessert Station’s Puto Flan and Pandan Flavor Puto Flan; Jertie’s Kitchen’s vegan (gluten-, soy-, egg-, dairy- and casein-free) Cranberry Almond Granola Balls; Batter Up by Florence’s Carrot Cupcakes and Banana Streusel Cupcakes; Wise Eats’ Pickled Long Beans, Calamansi Marmalade, Orange Fruit Butter, Tomato Fruit Butter and Spicy Brown Fruit Butter; and Spread Organic Agriculture in the Philippines (SOAP)’s Cappuccino Chocolate Bar, Hazelnut Chocolate Bar and Spicy Chocolate Bar made with high-quality local cacao.
Some stalls even sell Filipino merienda fares, including Maniego’s Plate, which offers Carioca, Turon, Puto and Pancit Palabok. Farm-in-a-Box, for its part, encourages homemakers to grow their own herbs, such as organic basil and ashitaba, so that they can just pick what they need when they cook. It also sells organic vegetables, including eggplants, okra, calamansi and tomatoes, plus homemade salted duck eggs, from its own farm.
The food fair gave Glorietta shoppers an opportunity to taste and discover artisan and gourmet food products made by professional chefs, culinary students, home bakers and cooks. Shoppers with a Php1,000 receipt from purchases made in Glorietta 3 and 5 merchants and restaurants and Palm Drive restaurants, as well as VIPinoy and Amore cardholders were privileged to enter the food fair and get to sample food products for free.
Since BellySima took place in line with Grandparents’ Day weekend, grandparents were also given the privilege of entering the food fair for free. As for other shoppers, The Mercato Centrale Group made tickets available for Php50.
BellySima was part of Glorietta’s initiatives to push the boundaries and provide its shoppers with unique, one-of-a-kind selections of products for holiday gift ideas and alternatives for a healthier lifestyle.
