Category Archives: City Centre

Get ready for Ramen at Selfridges, Birmingham. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Ramen, vegetarian by

   
 

Birmingham is certainly becoming a much more interesting place to live for veggie friendly dining. Though not fully vegetarian Tonkotsu has a decent amount of options in store. 

Tonkotsu is one of London’s best-loved Ramen bars and it opened a restaurant in Selfridges in Birmingham’s Bullring on 5th September.

Its the first Tonkotsu outside the capital and the team is very happy to be partnering again with Selfridges after becoming a popular choice for shoppers in the Oxford Street store.
Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish containing stock – usually pork and chicken – with a special wheat noodle and toppings including marinated egg, slices of pork, wakame seaweed and bean shoots. 


Vegetarian options: include: 

Hyashi Ramen: 

Cold noodle salad served with refreshing sesame ponzu dressing.

Shimej and Shitake Mushroom Hiyashi Ramen £9.50

Ramen: 

Miso of Shimaj- Mushroom ramen

(Rich kanbu and Shitake stuck with miso base and classic homemade noodles) 

Bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and mangetout topped with seasoned egg Shimaj and Shitake. £11.00

Katsu Curry: 

Veg Katsu curry: Sweet potato, courgette and aubergine Katsu. £8.75

Gyoza:

Shitake and bamboo shoot £5.75

Sides: 

Such as Tenderstem Brocolli, Edamame beans, Japanese Pickled cucumber, Homemade kimchee.

Tomatsu is proud to make all its noodles in-house thanks to their bespoke noodle machine, giving a fresh, springy noodle. 

Tonkotsu is the name of the richest, porkiest ramen dish – serves a variety of completely authentic, delicious, short-menu ramen with various starters, sides, artisan Japanese beers and whiskies to complete the menu.  

In addition  Tonkotsu Birmingham will serve katsu curry, perfect for a mid-shop pit stop. Japanese and British lagers and ales will be on offer along with house cocktails and wines. All dishes will be available to take away.

Tonkotsu is a group of six London restaurants, including Selfridges Oxford Street Foodhall, serving ramen with homemade noodles in slow-cooked broths, along with craft beers and cocktails. For locations, check out http://www.tonkotsu.co.uk/

Business partners and friends Kensuke and Emma opened Tonkotsu Soho in 2012 after hunting around London for a decent bowl of ramen and not being able to find one. Japan is full of ramen-ya and there are plenty in New York and over the world, so why not in London? Ken and Emma believe in keeping things simple, having a few dishes done very well and serve cocktails, Japanese and British beers and a couple of great wines.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

For locations see:

Home

  
  
For the menu see above.

All images courtesy of Tonkatsu. 

Yoga and a view with Yoga Sweat launched at Rofuto, Birmingham.

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Birmingham, City Centre, Events, Health drinks, healthy, Hotels, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  
Yoga with a view.

  

  
I’ve eaten at Rofuto and drunk some amazing Japanese whiskey in their bar. This though is something different. Rofuto Sweat begins on Sunday September 11th from 10.30-11.30.

A new weekly yoga workout with a view. It will include DJ’s and different brands as it progresses. 

Food and health and well been are so intrinsically linked that you can say you are what you eat and drink. 

As a vegetarian health issues have always been important to me and yoga is a beautiful way to become more fit and supple. In time though the gentle harmony of yoga practice can link ones fitness with their approach to life and how they see the world. An inner peace, the essence of yoga, evolving.

  
So now you can escape the city and join Yoga Sweat every Sunday at Rofuto Bar for weekly rooftop yoga at 141ft in the sky, with breathtaking 360 degree views of Birmingham.

Rofuto the newly opened modern Japanese restaurant and bar has collaborated with Yoga Sweat to offer ‘Yoga with a View’ classes every Sunday at 10.30am for £15 per person. The classes will be held in the bar area, an oasis of calm with panoramic views of the city. 

The hour long classes include a freshly squeezed Rofuto Super Juice and will be led by Yoga Sweat’s founder Andrea Hassett. The yoga sessions will work up to a flow, challenge yogis of all abilities and allow guests to work at their own pace, build strength, flexibility and leave you feeling refreshed and re-energized. The visual aspect of rooftop yoga ensures people feel more uplifted, and encourages a positive, open yoga practice.

 Rofuto offers an izakaya-style restaurant, serving a high quality modern Japanese menu of world class dishes and sits alongside the stunning cocktail lounge and sake bar in its unique rooftop position at the new Park Regis Hotel.

Founded by Andrea Hassett in 2014, Yoga Sweat’s mission is to bring a new, unique yoga offering to the people of Birmingham. Andrea has practiced yoga for over 14 years and instructed for seven. She honed her craft travelling the world gathering insights and techniques from some of the finest teachers working across the USA and Europe.

Access to the classes is via an Express Lift at the Rofuto entrance on Five Ways

All Sessions cost £10 for non members and £5 for Yoga Sweat members for a one hour session from 10.30-11.30am.

Bookings must be made in advance via Yoga Sweat on 0121 643 7772

Address: Rofuto Bar

Park Regis Hotel

160 Broad Street

Birmingham, B15 1DT                    

 Website: http://rofuto.co.uk/

Facebook: rofutobham

#Rofutosweat 

Twitter: @RofutoTweets #yogawithaview          

Instagram: rofuto  

Thanks for reading, 

Andy😊

Information and images courtesy of Rofuto and Neil Reading PR.

For my review of Rofuto’s food see the link below.

https://t.co/6UA9milYc8


 

 

Island Bar is 10 years old. 

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Birmingham, City Centre, Cocktails, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Veggie foodie by

  
Many years ago when I was much younger (say over 10 years ago) there wasn’t very much choice of bars or quality places to drink a varied and creative choice of drinks. 

The amount of independent bars were few and far between and generally if you wanted to have a night out you would have to go to a predictable chain that had a limited menu and certainly no cocktails. 

  
Island Bar opened in 9th September 2006. Situated on Smallbrook Queensway it offers an alternative option to the Birmingham pub and bar scene with handcrafted cocktails, classic creations and in-house Tiki concoctions as well as an extensive rum collection and a range of bottled beers. The venue’s ethos was and still is, to serve quality products by knowledgeable staff in an unpretentious venue. The bar has had many a makeover in the past ten years as well as seeing the cocktail offering expand and the music profile moving from indie / rock n’ roll to more soul and disco.

  
  

To mark this big birthday, Island Bar’s General Manager Simon Gilligan has created a line-up of events to celebrate including – a quiz night dedicated to the past ten years on Wednesday September 7th with rum based prizes to be won.

Thursday 8th plays host to a special version of “Tiki Thursday” with popular DJs Jam Jah Sounds playing dub and reggae alongside a bespoke menu by Jamaican rum Wray and Nephew. 

   
 Friday 9th and Saturday 10th customers are invited to join in the party atmosphere with DJs past and present taking to the decks to re-live some of the best moments from the Island Bar dancefloor. A one-off menu has been created by Simon for the weekend offering Tiki fans 2 for £10 all weekend on the favourite tipples of the past ten years.

Island Bar’s birthday isn’t just a milestone for the bar, but also a celebration for the independently run family Island Bar is part of. 

Bitters ‘n Twisted is one of Birmingham’s hospitality success stories, run by Matt Scriven who’s idea was to offer the flagging bar scene in the Midlands a much needed injection of creativity and fun 10 years ago. Following Island Bar’s opening in 2006 neighbouring boozer, The Victoria and then gin emporium Jekyl & Hyde were set up. Fast forward ten years and Bitters ‘n Twisted Venues owns and runs 10 venues within Birmingham and the Midlands with the most recent being a Bodega Cantina opening in Leicester, July 2016.  

​“Looking back to 10 years ago the hospitality scene in Birmingham has changed beyond recognition. We’ve been honoured and determined to play a large role in this renaissance of Birmingham and we remain passionate about contributing positively to this great city for another 10 years. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone and what we have achieved and I hope our customers continue to love what we do for many years to come.”

The team at Island Bar are asking customers to join in with them via social media to share their best memories over the years, using the #Island10 to collate a decade of anecdotes and pictures, the best ones will be rewarded with drink based prizes for the weekend.

  
   

Happy Birthday guys, and thanks for all the good nights so far across your venues from Veggie Foodie. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Island Bar, 14-16 Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham, B1 1LT.

https://m.facebook.com/IslandBarBirmingham/
http://www.bar-island.co.uk/

  
All photos courtesy of Bitters ‘n Twisted and Island Bar with thanks.

Bar Opus’ monthly wine club launches in September. 

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Birmingham, City Centre, Colmore business district, Independent Birmingham, Wine by

  

I seem to be drinking in the wine on my blog at the moment, but this one’s a too good an opportunity to let pass. 

Bar Opus launches its new Wine Club on the First Tuesday of the month, from 6pm (starting Tuesday 6th September).

 Hosted by Bibendum Wines you can learn about five different wines per class – from understanding the individual flavours, the importance of origin, and what wine should be paired with what dishes – as well as getting to enjoy a taste of the fruity drink. 

Classes are one hour and cost £10 each (or book three classes for September to November for £25). Call 0121 289 3939 to book. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

The return of Opus Restaurants Vegetarian Dinner with Worcester Produce. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Colmore business district, Events, Farm producers, Fruit and Veg, Independent, Independent Birmingham, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

     
 Friday 19th August sees the return of the annual Opus Restaurant Vegetarian Dinner with Worcester Produce. 

Enjoy 5 courses with wines to match  and an aperitif for £65PP From 7pm.

The night is a celebration of veg and is one of my favourite nights of the year for me with innovative dishes using fresh seasonal produce with the growers present to provide an insight into the process of seed to vegetable or fruit. As someone who grows vegetables I love the Highly interesting presentations from the growers about the process and hard work that’s put into make the produce and the journey it takes to the plate.

Opus believe vegetables are more than just side dishes… their Vegetarian Dinner proves just that.

At The Vegetarian dinner you will Enjoy a delicious five course menu designed by the innovative kitchen team, showcasing heritage vegetables and fruits, all of which are home-grown in Worcester.

Opus are running a competition to win 2 places to the dinner. See below for details, and questions and Direct message your answers on Twitter. Winners announced on 15 August.

  

PLEASE CALL 0121 200 2323 for bookings. 

Opus at Cornwall Street | 54 Cornwall Street | Birmingham B3 2DE | 0121 200 2323 

opusfamily.co.uk

http://www.opusrestaurant.co.uk/

http://www.worcesterproduce.co.uk/

For inspiration take a read of my review of last years Vegetarian Source Dinner:

http://t.co/WkopBcpQ9P

   
    
 Food Photos from last year vegetarian dinner. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

  

   
   
Opus restaurant also offer a vegetarian menu permanently 

Review here: https://t.co/AIpppfvenl

Restaurant review: Mezze at So Mezze and lounge, Birmingham.

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Cocktails, Gastro Card, Independent, Mezze, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

So Mezze is a reassuring place.  When you look at the menu you are greeted with a long list of Vegetarian dishes that cover All mezze bases and are salavatingly bursting with happiness. 

You cannot underestimate the comfort this brings and though the proof is in the eating its a positive start. The menu offers a mixture of cold and hot mezze, like tapas small dishes to share and ideal for grazing on with a cocktail from the long cocktail list. 

So Mezze serves Lebanese Mezze and is located in Birmingham City Centre in Holloway Head between Broad Street (near the ICC) and the Arcadian provides a lounging experience thats has a calm relaxed Arabesque feel about it and a comfortable cosy arrangement of seating and tables that asks you to linger long into the evening.

 

  
The beautiful thing about Mezze like tapas is its informality. Sharing food is one of my favourite things to do so the long  and varied vegetarian menu was perfect for Ruth and I to share, with plenty to satisfy all tastes.

We began with a couple of cocktail. Ruth the Dry Gin Martini and myself the Old Cuban. Both excellent with the perfect hit of ingredients. The rum and bourbon in mine, deep and velvety, reassuringly complimenting the informality of the dishes. Ruths with the perfect balance of gin and perfectly made. So good we had two more. Superb cocktails. 

  Gin Martini
  Old Cuban 

  

The dishes we ate were: 

Cold Mezze: Humous, Baba Ganoush, Tabouleh, Fatoush, Warak Enab,

Hot Mezze: Batata Harra, Grilled Halloumi, Sambousek cheese, and Falafal, served with flat bread. 

All the dishes were excellent, lovely examples of authenticity and fully enjoyable. 

Take the cold Mezze dish Baba Ganoush, smoky rich, creamy, the distinct aubergine flavour meltingly good on an excellent flatbread.

The Warak Enab, vine leaves stuffed full of rice and spices, morsels of delight and perfect alongside a superbly creamy and silky smooth Humous and light and refreshing Tabouleh with its summery flavours and minty, Parsley soothing hit and the light and breezy Fatoush with its lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mint and onion on flatbread and olive oil dressing. The salads tempered with Middle East herbs are delicious. 

The hot Mezze were equally indulgent and summery. 

The star dish Batata Harra, spiced Lebanese fried potatoes cooked with peppers, chillies, garlic and Corriander. Small morsels if punchy flavours taken alongside the savoury Grilled Halloumi, with its golden brown savoury touch a delight. 

Another dish, the falafel had the perfect weight and flavour. Small balls of chickpeas and onion ( I’m a big fan of chickpeas) deep fried with a tahini sauce. Delicious. 

The only dish that was not such a winner to me was the Sambousek Cheese, which was a light savoury cheese pastry with feta cheese and parsley which was disappointingly bland compared with the deep savoury flavours of the other hot dishes. Shame.

The dishes also came with rice.
  Falafel.  

Batata Harra.

  Fatoush

  Tabouleh.

  Sambousek Cheese

  Humous

  Baba Ganoush  Warak Enab

    
  

Grilled Halloumi  Flatbread

    Rice 

    Veggie menu £20 per person.

Been quite full we decided to share a beautifully sticky and filling Syrup Drizzled Baklava: soaked layers of pastry and chopped nuts, sticky, syrupy. It’s all in the name, delicious especially with the fresh and refreshing mint tea that we enjoyed with it.

    Baklava

  

 Fresh mint tea.

  
  
Our meal at So Mezze was a generous meal. For Vegetarians it’s an excellent choice. With plenty of choice, to fill a number of repeated visits. The set menu allows a full journey and the delight in eating food in a shared informal way is perfect for summer or a group party. It has a confidence in itself, unfussy, and enjoyable in its simple charms. They also cater for vegans and Gluten Free diets with notice when booking and reassuringly  having so much choice is its key to its enjoyment. All the dishes we tried were excellent and we’d have no hesitation to visit again. A hidden, cool and fun gem in the city centre and perfect for us veggies.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

So Mezze,  89 Holloway Head, Birmingham, B1 1QP.

http://www.so-mezze.co.uk/

https://m.facebook.com/somezze/

You can receive a discount of 25% with The Gastro Card at So Mezze from Sunday-Thursday.
http://www.gastrocard.co.uk/restaurants/so-mezze-lounge/

Our meal and drinks were complimentary at So Mezze because of my work for The Gastro Card. All my opinions are honest and my own as always. 

  

Zen Metro launches its Thai Food menu in Birmingham.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Colmore business district, Thai, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

Colmore Business District has always been the hub for great bars and restaurants in Birmingham and now it’s going to get even better with the launch of Zen Metro in Birmingham.

Based on the site of the old Metro Bar and Grill – the restaurant and bar will be launching a new menu serving great Thai food from the 6th July.

Having been taken over by Paul Bassi and Pawan Kenth’s Brandasia Group in 2015, the iconic venue has been refurbished and will be taking a new direction offering a quality offering for its regular business clientele.

After a £250,000 investment, the 100-seater venue has now been transformed into a sophisticated Thai restaurant complete with a huge blossom tree statement piece, emulating a luxurious south-eastern vibe. Guests can enjoy Metro by Day and Zen by Night.

There is a glass private dining room too that seats up to 20 people, where you can enjoy dinner and a quality wine list or liven up the night with some divine Thai inspired cocktails.

This iconic bar is the sister restaurant to award winning Asha’s on Newhall Street, with Jaimon George at the helm. As you would expect from his team, they will be offering exemplary service with an eclectic range of traditional and modern Thai dishes created by Head Chef Shailender Kothiyal, who has spent several years in Thailand learning the cuisine. 

Pawan Kenth of Brandasia said : “Metro has always been immensely popular with property, banking and legal professionals. Great deals have been done here over the past 20 years and we want to continue to make the place great. 

   
 
Birmingham’s hospitality landscape is always changing but Zen Metro will always be part of that and I know our regulars will be proud of how Zen Metro looks today.”
The ethos is based on the Zen Buddism Enso-a circle drawn with one continuous brush stroke to express a particular moment in time that is as individual as the person that created it. 

For Vegetarians try Tom yum noodle soup flavoured with lemon grass, galangal and kafir leaves, Thai Spring rolls, Veg Massaman Curry: Potatoes, onions, carrots, pineapple, Zucchini and peanuts in coconut milk or stir fry mixed vegetables with tofu garlic and soya. Or Pad Thai stir fried rice noodles and pad egg noodles. 

Zen Metro will surely be a good and different addition to the Colmore Business District and for Vegetarians out for the night either with meat eaters or with other veggies an interesting choice which I’m looking forward to trying.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy😊

http://zenmetro.co.uk/

Zen Metro, 73 Cornwall Street, Birmingham City centre. 

0121-200 1911.

http://www.zenmetro.co.uk

http://zenmetro.co.uk/menus/

https://twitter.com/metrobarbham

https://m.facebook.com/metrobarbham/

Also, good news for Gastro Card holders is that you can save 10% off your bill with the card.  See the link below for details: 

http://eblast.barques.co.uk/t/y-l-dkdliid-jutjitlkc-q/

http://www.gastrocard.co.uk/buy/

 
  

Photos courtesy of Zen Metro.
 

Brum Vegan Beer and food festival 15th and 16th July 2016.

Posted in Bars and Pubs, beer, Birmingham, Catering, City Centre, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie Burgers, Veggie foodie by

   
  

Hurray! It’s that time of year again. 

The legendary Brum Vegan Beer Fest is nearly upon us, with a lip smacking line up of local Brewers for thirsty beer drinkers to try. Of course you don’t have to be Vegan or Veggie to love them, but it sure helps. 

Last years event was one of the best and most fun times I’ve had since I begin my blog. Just quality Berra and friendly and happy chatter that makes this event unique in the Birmingham Summer calender. 

This year there are twelve local breweries involved in its ever expanding drink fest. A varied selection of brews hosted by the daddy of them all Two Towers Brewery in their Gunmakers Arms pub in the City Centre. 

Food is also on offer from The Vegan Grindhouse. Sadly ChangeKitchen CIC will no longer be in attendance. (Details of dishes to come when I have them).

   
 

The Beer List:

Bar 1.

Freedom Brewery: Authentic lager, 4% (pale).
Freedom Authentic has a citrus nose, and sweet malt and roasted cereal aromas. It’s well-balanced, with a bitter finish.

Rocknroll Brewhouse: Bramble On, 4.7% (pale). 
A stronger strength version of one of our popular pale ales, single hopped with British Bramling Cross hops.

Sacre Brew: Sirenia, 4.1% (pale). 

Citrussy American-style wheat beer. Brewed with lemongrass, orange & lemon peels, coriander seed, and chamomile.

Two Towers Brewery: Chamberlain Pale Ale, 4.5% (pale). 

A crisp, light, well-hopped traditional pale ale that yields the flavours of four carefully balanced hops with considerable, but not overwhelming, fruits finishing with long traditional sweet, biscuit malt and very pleasant distinctive nutty flavours.

Two Towers Brewery: Demon beer, 4.1% (pale). 

A rich IPA with a syrupy body. Mango and orange flavours give way to hints of lemon & grapefruit with a long lasting finish.

Two Towers Brewery:  Hockley Gold, 4.1% (amber).

This is a sweet, deep gold-coloured ale with a distinctive syrupy texture surrounding subtle fruit flavours, all underpinned by that fulfilling malt undertone providing the Two Towers characteristic ‘long’ final palette. 
Two Towers Brewery: Jewellery Porter, 5% (dark).

An outstanding, highly-acclaimed, full-bodied stout with a thick texture, producing a complex range of tastes that include coffee, chocolate and toffee with a delightful array of subtle fruit notes.

Two Towers Brewery: Number 11, 4.3% (pale).

An ale perfect to reflect a warm summer’s day, with floral notes hitting you on the nose and in the flavour profile. The fruit and light malt flavours give way to a very long bitter but smooth and long lasting finish. 

Bar 2:

The Backyard Brewhouse: Summer, 4% (pale). 

Golden straw ale. This is not a ginger beer but a beer infused with ginger. Aroma of ginger, lime and spice with a light crisp refreshing flavour without being over powering.

Cradock’s Brewery: Stout, 4.5% (dark). 

This black beer has been brewed to capture all the joys of stout without being too heavy. It owes its depth to the blend of roasted malts and a subtle use of hops. (cask).

Fixed Wheel Brewery  The Kaiser, 5.0% (pale)

Our German wheat beer in honour of Tour legend Jan Ullrich, big banana flavours on a vienna and pils base topped of with melon flavours from the new German hop huell melon.

The Fownes Brewing Company: Upper Gornal bitter, 3.8% (amber). 

Traditional Gornal bitter malt profile with a modern hopping regime.

Green Duck Beer Co’ Hoppy Hopkins, 4.6% (pale). 

A stramash of high alpha hops combine to give a super hoppy bitter beer with citrus and herbal flavours.

Kinver Brewery: Swallow’s T’Ale, 4.1% (pale). 

A light golden bitter, brewed with a selection of English and American hops.

Twisted Barrel Ale Brewery and Tap House, Export India Porter, 6% (dark). 

A hoppy roasted porter with huge coffee aroma and a lasting bitter finish thanks to the liberal use of Cascade, Chinook and Columbus.

Weatheroak Hill Brewery, Cofton Common, 4.9% (pale/amber) 
An Ale for Lager drinkers and a Lager for Ale drinkers! Cofton Common is our Hybrid Lager, brewed with German Noble Tettnanger hops and then fermented at low temperatures for a clean flavour profile. We leave Cofton Common to mature in a cold cellar for at least 4 weeks before serving, as is traditional with German lager brewing. 

The Vienna malt gives this beer a dry lightly biscuity backbone that tastes equally good as a winter warmer or a crisp, refreshing summer ale.

It looks a fantastic line up and should be an amazing two days celebrating llocal Vegan friendly beers with two outstanding Vegan foodstops.

Cheers 🍺🍺🍴

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

 

   
    
 Thanks to Tim, Birmingham Urban Sketchers for the Art Work from last years event.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Birminghamurbansketchers/

http://www.gunmakersarms.com/

http://twotowersbrewery.co.uk/

https://m.facebook.com/Brum-Vegan-Beer-Fest-1547216718922084/

Bonjour Birmingham – Bistrot Pierre is in town.

Posted in Birmingham, Breakfasts, Brindley Place, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, French Restaurants, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

The French restaurant group, Bistrot Pierre officially opened its fifteenth bistrot on 1st July in one of Birmingham’s oldest buildings – located on Gas Street.

Having opened their first restaurant in Nottingham more than 20 years ago, school friends and business partners Rob Beacham and John Whitehead are delighted to be opening in the UK’s second city.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re really looking forward to welcoming Birmingham’s diners to our newest location,” said Rob.

“The Grade II listed building is steeped in history, having previously been used as the headquarters for the Birmingham Canal Company – playing a vital role in the rich history of the city.”

Bistrot Pierre received a significant investment from private equity firm, Livingbridge, in 2015 to support its expansion plans – and Birmingham’s bistrot is the first of many new openings since this cash injection.

John said: “We believe very strongly in maintaining an individual and unique feel across our bistrots and the interior in each restaurant strongly reflects its location; no two bistrots are the same. Our passion for French food and high levels of service are features which we believe are paramount across the brand. We’re also very pleased to have created almost 50 new jobs in Birmingham.

“We’ve learnt a lot during our time in business and we continue to adapt and evolve to give the loyal diners we’ve built over the years an authentic and enjoyable dining experience. Birmingham is one of our most exciting openings to date and the bistrot itself is certainly something different for us – and for the city.”

Vegetarian main course options include Super Salade, Risotto vegetarien, Tarte aux Legumes, plus apetisers and starters such as Gousse d’ail rotie ( whole roasted garlic bulb with artisan bread) and signature dish Brioche et champignons (toasted brioche with fricasse of mushrooms).

Menus vary from full A’La Carte to Prix fixe Lunch, pre theatre, breakfast and Long Weekend, plus children’s menus. 

  
The launch of the new Birmingham restaurant coincides with an important rebrand for Bistrot Pierre – modernising its livery with a new look logo, menu design and signage incorporating stylised French characters and artwork, which will be rolled out across all of its restaurants in the coming months.

The independent restaurant group has also embraced the current trend in social media video with its Birmingham launch – introducing its arrival in Britain’s second city with three high quality lifestyle films.

Using three of the restaurants’ own waiting staff as the stars under the umbrella title of #bonjourbirmingham, Birmingham based videographer Ergo films has produced the three films using stunning iconic locations around the city as the backdrop. The first film launched on Bistrot Pierre’s social media channels last week.

“Using video to launch a restaurant is a new venture for us,” explained head of marketing Arpita Anstey. 

“Using video to launch a restaurant is a new venture for us,” explained head of marketing Arpita Anstey. 
“It has been incredibly exciting to see the film’s popularity amongst our new Birmingham audience, having received more than 20,000 views in its first week alone. The reaction to the video has given us a lot of encouragement that our new location is the perfect choice for Bistrot Pierre and that we will be a welcome addition to the city’s important and thriving food scene,” she continued.

Bistrot Pierre has locations across the UK in Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Leamington Spa, Harrogate, Ilkley, Sheffield, Stockton Heath, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Plymouth, Torquay, Cardiff, Bath and Newport.

To see the videos, visit http://www.facebook.com/BistrotPierre or follow @LeBistrotPierre on Twitter.

To book a table at the city’s newest French bistrot please contact 0121 616 0730.

  
Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Photos courtesy of Bistrot Pierre.

Midlands most sustainable restaurant leads the hive on saving Birmingham’s bees.

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Colmore business district, Events, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Talks and discussions, Veggie foodie, Wildlife by

  

A city centre restaurant is set to create a buzz next month with a lively conversation on how to save one of Europe’s most endangered species – bees. 

Opus at Cornwall Street will be bringing together some of The Midland’s leading bee specialists as part of its ‘Opus In Conversation’ series – a collection of talks discussing matters important to the city – to debate how the demise of these small but mighty insects would have a detrimental effect on the economy, environment and diet, and what can be done to save them. 

Since the 1900’s, the UK has lost 20 species of bees with a further 35 currently considered under threat of extinction. Without these intriguing insects, it is estimated that a third of our diet would be lost due to the catastrophic effect it would have on crops and would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate their produce without them. 

On the panel is Sharif Kahn, President of Birmingham & District Beekeepers Association (BDBKA), Professor Keith Walters, specialist in invertebrates and researcher into neonicotinoids at Harper Adams University and Simon Needle, Ecologist, Woodland and Conservation Manager at Birmingham City Council. They will be giving their top tips on how to better our gardens, streets and cities to stop bee numbers declining. 

The sound of bees is something that fills my garden during the months and helps create an Eco balance in my humble space. 

Ann Tonks, director of Opus at Cornwall Street, said: “Bees are in serious danger at the moment and yet, we don’t feel enough people are aware of how quickly their numbers are declining. That’s why we’ve taken action and dedicated an ‘Opus In Conversation’ to them, to get the people of Birmingham talking and acting to save our bees. 

“Bees play a fundamental part in our society. They are a key pollinator to a lot of the delicious produce we like to serve in our restaurant. In fact, every dish in our restaurant relies on bees, from tomato to thyme, and without them, our diet would change drastically. We’re thrilled to have gathered some of the region’s most knowledgeable professionals and can’t wait to hear their thoughts and advice.”  

The Opus In Conversation: Bees In The City debate at Opus at Cornwall Street is a free ticketed event and will take place on Friday 15th July from 5.30pm.

Audience members are encouraged to field questions to the panel before the discussion.

For tickets, call 0121 200 2323. 

Thanks for reading, 
Andy 😊

   Ann Tonks of Opus. 

 

Bee facts:

– There are over 250 species of bees living in the UK. The bumblebee and honeybees the most popular.

– Only 10% of eggs are male.

-Most normal honeybees live for 40 days. The Queenbee can live for up to five years.

-There are an average of 35,000 bees that live in a single hive in the height of Summer.

-Honeybees are speedier than they look and fly at around 16MPH and beat their wings 200 times per second.

-Queen bees lay approximately 2,500 eggs a day.

-Bees talk to each other through dance, to share information about the best food sources. This is called the Waggle Dance. Hence the beer that’s named after it. 

-One bee will make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its entire life.

-Beekeepers only take honey that bees do not need, but this can be as much as 45g. 

-Currently there are 110 beekeeper a in Birmingham. They are between the ages of 12-92. Anyone can become a bee keeper through a course held by the BDBKA.

Photos courtesy of Opus and Clive Reeves PR.