I’m not a foodie, but put me in a room full of artisan cheese and champagne tasters and I’m in. I will go forth and enjoy all the free things, and trust me, I will go hard.

But make me pay £30 for it? Hmm, I’m not so sure about that.

Don’t get me wrong, the BBC Good Food Show is a lot of fun. For those who really love food, and more importantly, really love to cook food, £30 isn’t a deal breaker. For avid cookbook readers, it’s also a small price to pay to get their books signed by Nadiya Hussain, Paul Hollywood, and other celebrity chefs.

But for the average Joe who can’t tell the difference between a swede and a squash, that ticket price is a bit steep. On top of the entrance fee, you have to pay an additional £5 for each ‘class’. Want to make your own sushi? Beer tastings? Eat delicious chocolate and pair it with wine? All an extra £5. Celeb chef demonstrations are also an additional fiver, so you’re talking close to £50 just on entrance and activities alone.

When you add these little extras with the fact that you’re literally there to buy things, it gets a bit ridiculous. It’s all fun and games and unlimited samples until someone expects you to actually purchase all that cheese you’re eating.

For instance, I got bamboozled into £20 worth of collapsible Tupperware that is not nearly as awesome in my kitchen as it was under the bright lights of London Olympia. My boyfriend and I both got suckered into buying a pack of really tasty sauces that we discovered would have been cheaper to get at our local shop. The whole time I felt like I was secretly being taped for The Apprentice, and the boyfriend and I were the losers who bought whatever weird stuff the candidates were pawning off for triple the price.

Or maybe I thought that because Alana Spencer, a candidate on this season, was there in the flesh. She’s a baker, and after meeting her I’m now convinced that she is the loveliest person to ever grace the boardroom. She also has great taste in lipstick.

Anyway, her peanut butter fudge cake beckoned me from across the room, and it was not to be ignored. And oh my god was it the most amazing thing. I swear to you that I heard angels singing “Hallelujah” after I took that first bite. It was so creamy, so rich, and just so perfect. If she gave Lord Sugar one of these babies, I bet he’d hire her instantly.

We also got to pop into Tom Kerridge’s demonstration in the SuperTheatre. He’s a chatty dude with two Michelin stars under his belt, and he loves a good bit of banter. Even though watching someone cook something you can’t actually eat isn’t the most exciting thing, it was still really entertaining. Nadiya’s free demo was also really enjoyable. She’s just as adorable in person as she seems on TV.

Even though it was a bit pricey, it was still a great day out. The food was incredible, the people were lovely, and I got to watch last year’s Bake Off champ cook in front of my very eyes. I also managed to find a few Christmas gifts, and try new things that I never would have ate otherwise. Honestly, I probably got my money’s worth in alcohol samples alone. Prosecco, cider, gin, liqueur…it was like being a fresher all over again.

With that said, the BBC Good Food Show was worth the price. We left weighed down by free goodie bags filled with things like toothpaste, chocolate, pesto sauces, pasta boxes, and bags and bags of rice.

We may have paid £30, but hey, at least we don’t have to do our food shop this week.