This is the final part of my Eat Drink Blog 3 posts 
I’m feeling a little sad…reminiscing all the good times I’ve had with my fellow food bloggers, it’s just a shame that we wont get the chance to meet up as often as we would like to. But at least we are able to look back on these photos and look forward to the next time we meet!
The first day (Part 1 and 2) of our conference was just full of eating, drinking and talking 
but the next day was when the real conference began. It was going to be a pretty full on day because most bloggers had to rush off and catch the 7pm flight back home.
Red Door Bakery pastries and bread
EDB was very kind and had organised breakfast for delegates as it was a pretty early 8:30am start, we were provided with an array of pastries and breads from Red Door Bakery. I was super excited about trying the pastries as I had put Red Door Bakery on my ‘to-go’ list but knew I wouldn’t have the time to go, so it was a win win situation YAY! I had the orange marmalade danish and it was everything a good Danish should be, the pastry was puffy and flakey and with the orange marmalade it was just NOMMY!
Dianne Jacob acclaimed writer
Source: Diannej.com
It was then followed by Dianne’s workshop, where she went through her thoughts and opinions about food bloggers. I was very excited about meeting Dianne, as I have been meaning to purchase her book ‘Will Write For Food’. Now I’m definitely going to buy it ~ she gave us an overview of her experience with food bloggers, and she said she has seen a massive influx in the number of food bloggers in the past 5 years. A couple of years ago there were probably 40,000 food blogs, but this figure is no longer accurate. Dianne also mentioned that competition amongst food bloggers have also increased, therefore, its important to have good quality content on your blog~ I’m worried…I talk too much randomness to my blog posts hahaha
Jules Clancy from The Stone Soup
Source: The Stone Soup
I then chose to attend the Blog Design workshop by Jules Clancy (The Stone Soup), it was a wonderful workshop as I have been interested in redoing my blog design, but haven’t had the time or expertise. These are the key points I got from Jules’ talk
Key Points
- Need to decide on an objective for the blog, what do you want people to focus on when they visit your blog
- Make it easy for Readers to find recipes and reviews
- Must easier to read posts with a white background and black writing
- Use narrower columns to help Readers quickly skim through the post
- Research has shown that the first time we look at a website is the top left corner
After attending this workshop… I really think I need a new blog designnnnnnnnnn can anyone please help me? Pretty please! It’s so complicated hahaha
Chef Nick preparing the seafood paella~
Time seriously just flew by and it was then time for lunch ~ no one knew what we were going to have for lunch, so we were all surprised when we walked downstairs back into the Central Market. The market is closed on Sundays but a number of stalls had opened up just for us to create a Market Feast!
Seafood Paella
Everything smelt and looked fantastic but the ginormous seafood paella was the show stopper I’ve never seen such a large paella pan in my life! I got a small serve and it was so delicious! The seafood gave it a sweet kind of flavour, while the chorizo was smokey and full of flavour.
San Jose products
More San Jose ham, chorizo and salami! You might remember San Jose from part 1, where we got to met San Jose and his partner turing the Central Market tour.
San Jose Ham
We also got to sample Vegas poultries pandan chicken I love the subtle pandan flavour the chicken pieces had and would really like to take some home with me if I could, because it’ll be the best after work dinner dish ~
Vegas Pandan Chicken
We also got to sample some of O’Connells Meats, I don’t think we got to meet them during our Central Market tour, but they were offering the most exquisite ham I have had It was warm, smokey and seriously AMAZING flavours! This is seriously the best ham to serve at any Christmas party.
Never ending chocolate fountain ~
Dessert was covered by Providore, another chocolate fountain? YES PLEASE! I can seriously contemplating getting one of those plastic mini chocolate fountains and put one at home so I’ll also have a never ending supply of chocolate
My lunch
I practically just sampled, the savoury dishes, instead this was my lunch lol pancake with strawberries drenched in chocolate sauce and topped with chocolate gelato Life couldn’t get any better!
I really wished we had more time to eat even more food, but we were only a very tight schedule. So we were rushed back into the Central Market Kitchen for the next lot presentations~ Next up was Geoff Kwito, the web entrepreneur and SEO guru. I really wished I had the chance to talk to him more, to pick his brain about SEO. He explained SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) very well and also gave us many hints and tips on how to optimise it to increase our hits.
Key Points
- SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is important and inevitable
- Keywords are important, include them in the title and in the post
- Google will not rank your blog very high if it does not have good content
- Share the love, link back to each other The more links you have, Google will believe you are a quality blog
- Google does not recognise images, therefore, it is important to name them something relevant
These are a only a few things I learnt from Geoff’s presentation, for more Julie from I Dream In Chocolate recently did a post about SEO check it out ~
Afternoon tea – from The Cupcake Table
As we were all paying attention to the presentation, I saw on the corner of my eye, Natasha (The Playing House) who is also part of the EDB committee set up a table in the corner with our afternoon tea. It was like a little girls birthday party and definitely made me grin from ear to ear ~
So much to choose from!
I had a lot of trouble deciding what I wanted! I simply wanted to try everything there ~ I did manage to try the cakepops are they were so delicious! Fudgey and soft cake centres covered in chocolate then the crunch from the 100s and 1000s hehe yum yum yum!
Caramel Popcorn Cupcake
I couldn’t go past the caramel popcorn cupcake and then were AWESOME! Let me repeat that AWESOME! It was this soft, sticky and sweet caramel cupcake with a caramel filling, topped with caramel popcorn that was so crunchy and YUM! The cupcake was SOOOOOOO good, I couldn’t help but ask Natasha for the recipe, and she has been so kind to share with me I’m going to try making them ASAP and once I succeed, I will post about it 
Christie from Fig and Cherry
Source: Fig and Cherry
The last presentation I wanted to share with you would be Q&A about Ethics and Working with PRs, with George Ujvary (The Foodologist), Ed Charles (Tomato) and Christie Connolly (Fig and Cherry). I was most excited about meeting Christie in person as I follow her blog and love the simple yet tasty recipes she shares, I also like stalking her blog because Poppy her daughter is SUPER adorable I thought this topic was very interesting and important topic for food bloggers, especially since more and more food companies and restaurants are now using food bloggers to help promote and sell their products.
Key Points:
- Always be honest with your Readers and also be transparent and disclose when products/meals are paid for
- Decide what products you will accept and review that fits with your blog
- Decide whether you will charge and how much
- Public Relation companies do not usually have a budget, marketing firms usually have a budget and are able to sponsor bloggers
I think these tips were great and very useful, as I think it’s very important as a food blogger to be honest and disclose when products or meals have been paid for. I think Readers have the right to know and shouldn’t be misled to think that the meals were paid for individually when it wasn’t ~
Now that concludes my EDB 3 food bloggers conference I am going to cherish this experience for the rest of my life ~ I had the chance to meet all these fantastic bloggers and people in the food and beverage industry, be able to taste all the fresh produce and delicious dishes and most importantly learn how to be a better food blogger And that is to be honest with Readers and write good quality and intersting content!
Would also like to say a HUGE thank you to Christina (The Hungry Australia) and Amanda (Lamb, Ears and Honey) co-chairs of the EDB event and everyone else on the committee Natasha (The Playing House), Celeste (Travelling in Mary Jane), Erin (She Cooks She Gardens), Alex (Eating Adelaide) and Kristy (The Natural Foodie).
I’m really hoping to go to EDB again next year with all my fellow Melbourne bloggers and also catch up with all the wonderful and talented bloggers I met this year
For a recap of EDB 3, Simon (Simon Food Favourites) has done a brilliant video ~ I love re-watching it hehe
Oh man that Paella, and all that fresh produce! Looks like you had a blast!!
It was amazing
had such a good time hehe ~ can’t wait to go back to Adelaide!
Everything just looks so good! (: Thank you for sharing tips with us readers too! Looks like it was a very fulfilling trip! hehe x
You’re welcome dearie
I really wanted to share with you guys what I learnt hehe
I absolutely agree that it’s very important to be honest when something is provided or paid for. The trust between you and the reader is the most important thing!
I couldn’t agree with you more Lorraine
I think Readers have the right to know and it’s our responsibility to tell them what is paid for or not ~ and to provide honest reviews state that we don’t like it when it really wasn’t fantastic hehe
There are so many incredible presentations and such delicious food and so many inspiring people!!!! Aaaah I am going to check out when I can go!!!
But thank you for sharing your experience
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Really hope you can go soon Uru
you will have such a fantastic time meeting all the wonderful bloggers and eating all the food 
omy babe you link me thank you love <3
Im so jealous loving all your posts!
You’re so welcome
I really liked you post that’s why I wanted to link and share with everyone else hehe ~
That caramel popcorn cupcake looks delicious (and you know me, I’m not a huge fan of cupcakes). Can’t wait until you post the recipe up so I can make it myself at home!
You’ve also reminded me that I need to revamp my blog but hahaha, I suck at web design and all things computer-related
I m a bit busy lately but as soon as I get the time
I ll make them and post the caramel popcorn recipe hehe yay!
Oh gosh let’s not talk about blog design lol I ve been meaning to change mine for such a long time but haha I m hopeless…
Thank you for sharing those useful tips! Sounded like a fruitful trip indeed. How much did it cost to attend this conference?
It’s free but you have to pay for your own accommodation and transport
come next year!
Oh they must have gotten massive sponsors!
I think they did this year
wow such an extensive post. Shame I missed it this year but ur post made me feel like I was there hehehe Paella looks so good too!
LOL sorry if it was too long
Just really wanted to share with everyone that I learned and the FOOD 
Thanks for sharing all those wonderful tips and tricks of the trade! The food looks mouthwatering! I’m in the market for a blog up-do as well, can’t wait to see what you come up with.
You are so welcome
I’m glad you found the tips useful ~ The food was amazing seriously wished I could go back for more hehe
Gosh, so much food. I don’t know how you managed to stay awake the whole time LOL. Yes, agreed with many of the points here – thanks for sharing the tips.
Hahaha there was too much great food Adrian
Wished you were there to help us eat! LOL I was kinda dozing off half way through so really need sugar and desserts hehe
I learned so much from the conference and so much more about being a better blogger
I’m absolutely drooling over that pastry table!!!!!!!!!!! hehe can’t wait for your caramel popcorn cupcake post!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I’ll try and post it ASAP
it tastes even better than it looks hehe ~ Hope you found the tips and hints useful too ~
Look at those sweets. I want!!
I can’t wait for your caramel cupcake recipe. OH YES PLEASE!~
Things are a bit crazy lately but once I get the time I’ll post it
I promise!!!
Thanks so much for sharing all this Daisy! It’s very useful information! Glad that you had such a good time! =)
You are so welcome
I’m glad you found the tips useful hehe ~
Great post Daisy and you certainly took a lot of great notes. It was so good seeing you and Mr Bao and I’m glad we were able to have breakfast together xx
Ohhh, those caramel popcorn cupcakes look awesome! Can’t wait for your post and the recipe!
And thanks heaps for sharing what you learnt at the conference 
They were so delicious
I coudln’t help but ask for the recipe hehe will share as soon as I get a couple of minutes at home hahaha things are crazy for me lately sorry! 
Looks like part 3 is totally your day – more desserts and more and more desserts. How wonderful! Glad to read all your stories and what you learned there. I hope Mr. Bao had a good time, too.
It was definitely my day hahaha
it was like the dessert god mother heard prayers and decided to bless me with all these delicious cakes and desserts 
Mr Bao had a good time ~ He even went to the Zoo himself! HAHHAA
Daisy, don’t change your blogging style, I love that your personality shin through, as if we are sitting in front of each other tasting delicious food while giggling away!
I can not believe what a wonderful event this was, though I am not blogging very seriously right now, the information you shared is very helpful. My eyes got so wide looking at the paella and afternoon tea items, lucky you!
Thanks Jeno for your support
Don’t worry I wont change my blogging style in fact after the bloggers conference, I think it’s just confirmed that being honest and open is the way to go ~
This event was truly an unforgettable experience
I’m glad you found my tips useful, I know how busy life can be that’s why you’re not blogging as much but maybe later when you have more time xox
It’s a wrap! What a fabulous time you had. And, great that you learnt something along the way
The tips were very useful, too. Thanks for sharing them 
I’m glad that you find the tips useful
I know a lot of bloggers who weren’t able to go so I really wanted to share with others 
Thanks for posting all those notes about the workshops. Everything went by in a blur so quickly so I’m glad that you had a bit of a recap!! It was so awesome for them to share their knowledge in those workshops though and I did learn quite a lot
No worries Christine
I know what you mean it went by like a blur so i really wanted to share what I learned from the work shops 
I learned so much! Need to put some of them in action now hehe
Looks like so much fun! Maybe next year.. wonder where it will be?
Daisy, you’ve done such a great series of EDB3. My hat off to you
Thank you
I really wanted to give an overview and let the other bloggers know what we learnt and how lucky we were to be delegates of EDB ~ Thank you for all your hard work!