Category Archives: Real ale

#TastyMorsel: Gas Street Social opens with tempting vegetarian dishes. 

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, beer, Birmingham, City Centre, Cocktails, Craftbeer, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Real ale, vegetarian, Veggie Burgers by

    

Gas Street Social is a brand new bar and restaurant at The Mailbox in Birmingham City Centre nestled by the canal (with views) and offering a seasonal taste of home comforts alongside an eclectic menu and speciality drinks. 

On offer for veggies are sharing plates, veggie burgers, cheese boards, and stone baked flat breads as well as pies including vegetarian on a Tuesday. 

Alongside the food sits craft beer, delightful cocktails which are a speciality of Gas Street Social both handcrafted, modern and  classics. 

   

       

Inspired by the industrial and cultural context of Birmingham’s rich history centred on the concept of sharing and socialising. 

The bar/restaurant offers large tables, intimate booth areas, a cosy- snug zone and caters for quick bites and lunches and lingering after work social fun. 

As an independent entity owned by Adam Freeth from Redditch it promises to be a great addition to the Mailbox area and even more so as an independent venture amongst so many so so chains. 

For vegetarians the menu offers  dishes such as  a superfood salad, soup, cheese board, social plates which seem the most tempting and include: Beetroot tart, sweet potato and quinoa, crispy arancini balls. 

Mains include a veggie sweet potato and quinoa burger with triple cooked chips and watercress, and mushroom gnocchi. 

Gas Street Social source their ingredients well as good independents do. 

The sharing plates are £17 for three and £27 for 5 plates. Ideal in the Mailbox setting, by the canal. 

Gas Street Social also have a dedicated children’s menu including vegetarian and a long list of tempting deserts. 

  

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the press dinner last week, but have heard good things about Gas Street Social and its decor and food options. 

I’m looking forward to visiting soon though for a proper review of their vegetarian dishes and like the look of the sharing plates which I’m a big fan of. 

As an alternative to the set three course meal places nearby it offers a real alternative. 

http://www.gasstreetsocial.co.uk

Wharf side, The Mailbox, Birmingham B1 1RL. 

Facebook/Gasstsocial

Twitter: @gasstsocial 

   

       

 

Photos apart from the top 2 courtesy of Gas Street Social, the top 2 courtesy of me. 

   

 

Thanks for reading

Andy 😊

#CoffeeTime: Loco Lounge- Kings Heath

Posted in Bars, beer, Breakfasts, Cafés and Restaurants, Cake, Cocktails, Coffee, Coffee Time, Kings Heath, Real ale, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie Burgers, Veggie foodie by

I’m making no apologies for mentioning the Loco Lounge on Kings Heath High Street in Birmingham again on my blog.

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The Loco Lounge Is part of the Lounges group of cafe bars that offer an all day space and cater for the whole community and neighbourhood.

They also sell and eclectic mix of cocktails, craft beers and wine.

Loco has a large double fronted shop front which has some outside seating. Inside the the ground floor is open plan with stairs leading to a snug with a covered terrace to the rear of that.

It’s a large space with a loyal customer base and is popular at all times of the day. A real community space. A place for all the family.

The Loco Lounge is near my house, but until this occasion I hadn’t drunk a coffee in its cosy cafe.

As a cafe/bar caters for many different people in many different ways. Since this visit I have visited in the morning a couple of times and this time is popular with parents with children and people working on laptops…and me 🙂

It is for this reason one Friday afternoon that I visited. To work on my blog and my poetry. Yes I have new work 🙂 x 6!

The Loco Lounge I think is the best space for working in
in Kings Heath, spacious, free wi fi, and with comfy chairs, sofas and cushions, it’s like your front room with a casual buzz and friendly staff.

On the afternoon (a Friday) I visited the cafe was busy.
Some people had eaten lunch others were working with a coffee and some were chilling with a book and a coffee.

You have to order at the bar, and I chose my favourite coffee test a Flat White with a Vegan (yes vegan) chocolate and Ginger torte.

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The Flat White was lovely, creamy, well made, a good coffee with a decorative twist. Presented in a glass mug which was quite retro like. Excellent.

The torte alongside it was a lovely choice. The ginger against the vegan chocolate was delicious. It was well baked, soft, sticky, the vegan chocolate was thick and gooey. It was superb. A real surprise, I don’t mind saying.

A lovely combination.

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The Loco Lounge is a brilliant space to work in. It’s buzzy without been in your face, it’s spacious and cosy. The food and drink is varied, with lunches, evening specials, breakfasts, and a whole vegan menu on offer it covers all basis. In fact if you stay all day you can be well fed.

For coffee and cake it ticks all the boxes and makes for a satisfying stop off whilst in Kings Heath, for locals like me well it’s an extension of our living room, a home from home.

In my case with better coffee and cake.

The Loco Lounge
32/34 High Street
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7JT

0121 444 1296

@loco_lounge

http://www.thelounges.co.uk/loco-lounge

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On Monday Loco do a pub quiz. On Tuesday they offer Tapas Tuesday where you can have three tapas dishes and a large glass of house wine for £9.75.

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Update: A delicious Cappuccino, creamy with a touch of chocolate class.

Brum Yum Yum: Valentine’s Day #KingshEATh street food extravaganza

Posted in Birmingham, Cake, Coffee, Events, Food Festivals, Fruit and Veg, Grocers, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Kings Heath, pizza, Real ale, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

‘Romeo, Romeo wherefore art though Romeo?’ ‘I can’t find you in Verona?

‘Juliet, I’m in Kings Heath, Birmingham, it’s Valentines Day and I’m at #KingshEATh with Brum Yum Yum.

Wait there for me and I will join you, Italy is no place to be this Valentine’s Day, only Kings Heath will do.

And so it came to pass that Romeo took his Juliet to Kings Heath on Saturday 14th February for a street food extravaganza.

This Saturday is the first Brum Yum Yum of 2015. Where what you see is what you get. #ingredients #technique #perfection. All ingredients are sourced fresh and ready to make in front of your eyes.

Brums favourite street food crews appear alongside guests including grocers, bakers, craft beer, proper
wines, and street performers and live music.

The line up this Saturday has numerous veggie options:

Try

-Sai Buddha Belly-Thai street food
@SaiBuddhaBelly

-Barebones pizza- woodfired pizza @barebonespizza

-Pietanic- pies galore @pietanic

-The Vegan Grindhouse- veggie and vegan handmade burgers, cakes, etc
@vegangrindhouse

-Nosh & Ciao- Italian street food. Arancini and more
That’s Amore @noshandciao

-Big Papas Beautiful South- soul food including veggie @bigpapasuk

-Bombay Tapas- pure veg East African/Indian street food

-Vishaag- indian street food

Churros Susanna- churros and chocolate @churrossusanna

BAKE-bakes and cakes @BAKE_Birmingham

Mrs Mills- cakes, desserts. @mrsmillscakes

-Pips Hot Sauce- spice girl-spices @pipshotsauce

-Vegeteopolis- fruit and veg @vegetropolis

All terrain Caffeine- coffee etc @allterraincoffee

-British Bus Bar- purity ales and beers etc @bar_british

Pimpernel delights -deli @pimpernel_deli

It should be a fun packed and romantic foodie fest.

So. Fall in love…this Valentines Day with KingshEATh street food market😊

See you there.

It begins at 11.30-4pm on Saturday 14th February

#KingshEATh Streetfood market

Kings Heath village square
2 Vicarage Road
Birmingham B14

Facebook.com/BrumYumYum

http://www.brumyumyum.com

Twitter/ brumyumyum

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Moseley and Kings Heath Craft Beer Festival Feb 6th-7th

Posted in Bars and Pubs, beer, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Kings Heath, Moseley, Pubs, Real ale, vegetarian by

One of the areas related to food that I haven’t mentioned and covered much on my blog up to now is real ale, cider and craft beers.

I’ve always loved real ale and craft beer and see it as just as important as wine, whiskey and cocktails when talking about and eating food. In fact many restaurants are offering and encouraging ale and beer as part of its food menu and tastings.
Particularly Carters in Moseley, Turners in Harborne and of course their is the Pure Bar in the City Centre who are doing a 5 course Valentines night menu with a different tasting beer at every course, though unfortunately not suitable for veggies on this occasion though have veggie options on their main menu.

strong>The festival is taking place with money been raised for good causes is next weekend February 6th-7th at Kings Heath Cricket ground in Kings Heath South Birmingham.

Entry is £10. With £5 worth of beer vouchers and tasting notes and beer glass.

The Moseley, and Kings Heath Craft Beer Festival is organised by the Round Table, who are a organisation that do charity work with an emphasis on social activities and community events.

The festival is the newest event to be organised. This years event is been held at Kings Heath Cricket Ground renowned for its ale, having made The Good Pub Guide.

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This year the festival has a local theme with all 40 Beers having been selected within a 15 mile radius of the festival.

Cider is from Worcestershire, and Herefordshire and Specials ‘including Homebrew’ specially selected as champion home brew Beers.

For a full list of beers and ciders see

http://www.moseleyandkingsheathbeerfestival.co.uk/beers-amp-ciders.html

There will also be live rugby from the six nations on the big screen and live music all weekend.

See website for details:

http://www.moseleyandkingsheathbeerfestival.co.uk

Brewers at the festival include:

Church End
Holdens
Two Towers
Purity

There will and be food available. Details not known as yet. I will update when I know.

Though I know that veggie Veg Out Cafe, Kitchen Garden and Sylhet Spice from Kings Heath are sponsors.

It should be s good two days and hopefully will raise money for good causes locally.

Remember Entry is £10 which includes your festival beer glass, £5 worth of beer vouchers, and tasting notes for all the craft beers and ciders.

Cheers. Get the beers in😊

@moseleyroundtable
Facebook: MoseleyRoundTable

#feedyoursoul: Big Papa’s B. South take over the Sunflower Lounge

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, beer, Cafés and Restaurants, Cocktails, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Real ale, Street Food, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

It’s hard to believe that The Sunflower Lounge on Small Brook Queensway near the Bull Ring and New Street Station in Birmingham City Centre is over 10 years old. I remember going there many times when I was younger for cool indie tunes and a chilled vibe, with work colleagues. It was always fun. Yet, I haven’t been for a long while since, not sure why, maybe you out grow these places and remember the memories with fondness of good times past.

So it was with nostalgic excitement that I found out that there is a grand refurbishment afoot at the Independently owned Sunflower Lounge which includes a #feedyoursoul new foodie residents
Big Papa’s B. South street food gurus and soulfood experts, so expect great soul food and soulful music, with good vegetarian options.

Having spoken to them I know that they are passionate about their food, and want to get their vegetarian options right. They are excited by the launch on the 21st January and of the new joint partnership with the Sunflower Lounge. Being permanent residents at
The Sunflower Lounge allows them to be free and interchangeable with the menu which is great for veggies and meat eaters alike. On the whole soul food can be very meaty, but also in this case very veggie too. What’s not too like?

The soul food menu will run for seven days a week, service times to be confirmed and will be a permanent fixture in The Sunflower Lounge’s top floor bar/restaurant.

So expect starters, mains and puds. Mains from Kale, avocado, and garlic aioli salad-healthy option, and Roasted Butternut squash, Mac and Cheese, with poached egg, plus a veggie starter and three puds.

Big Papa’s B. South, want to create an independent, unique and vibrant atmosphere in a venue that’s known for great food as well as great music.

Big Papa’s will still be doing their streetfood gigs and festivals. They will employ chefs whilst they are away cooking up a storm.

The Sunflower Lounge has been completely refurbished so my memories will be severly tested. Yet, one things certain the vibe will be the same, if not better, an awesome place to hang out with friends, eat great soulfood, and listen to cool music. For people like me that grew up in Birmingham it’s part of our history, now it has a new vibe, a new look, new menus,

its the #feedyoursoul vibe. Feel happy 🙂

Keep an eye on my blog for further details and reviews to come.

The Sunflower Lounge is part of the Independent Birmingham trail and supported businesses.

See http://www.independent-birmingham.co.uk/thesunflower-lounge

The Sunflower Lounge
76 Small Brook Queensway
Birmingham
B5 4EG

@bigpapasuk

@sunflowerlounge

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#TastyMorsel: Lounging at The Loungers Cosy Club

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, beer, Breakfasts, Cafés and Restaurants, Cake, Cocktails, Coffee, Coffee Time, Food, Harborne, Kings Heath, Real ale, Tapas, Tasty Morsels, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie Burgers, Veggie foodie by

Well it would be rude not to 🙂

One of the finds for me since I started my blog is the casual Loungers cafe bars that offer all day casual eating, drinking and community chilled fun, quirky atmosphere, amd a relaxed vibe whatever the day or night or occasion.

They are extremely popular and what I like about them community driven. My local one in Kings Heath, do fundraising, have book sessions, do charity work, they have a community notice board where people can promote events, local information.

They offer a space for families to dine in a casual way with children’s activities and games, as well as offering an informal drinking and dining scene for evening down time.

Birmingham and Solihull already have four Loungers bars.

<strong>Arco Lounge in Harborne, Loco Lounge in Kings Heath and Desco Lounge in Shirley at the new Park Gate shopping centre. and Verdo Lounge in Wylde Green.

All four offer a similar menu, from Breakfasts, all day brunch, lunches and an evening menu and a changing specials board.

Plus coffee, cocktails, wines, real ale and craft world beers. An all round winner.

They are cosy, quirky, family friendly home from home, and ideal for catching up with friends or an informal date night or as a place to work in or write over a coffee.

The food, i’ve had is excellent, from tapas, to Burgers, to specials, and puds. They are very popular with a cross section of the communities they serve, and are buzzy and lively and always busy, day and night.

For vegetarians and vegans, they offer a comprehensive menu. vegetarian breakfasts, veggie Kedgeree, sandwiches, tapas, veggie burgers, and risotto and Mac and cheese.

They have a full vegan menu which is to be commended and serve vegan wine.

Brunch is served all day, and on Tuesday’s in Kings Heath there is Tapas Tuesday where you can get three tapas and a glass of wine for £9.95.

There is also an extensive gluten free menu, a kids menu and cakes, coffee and puds.

See website for menus: http://www.theloungers.co.uk

For my review of Loco Lounge Kings Heath here

https://vegiefoodie.com/2014/11/26/veggieburgerwatch-loco-lounge-kingsheath/

So it was with a degree of excitement that I read in
The Birmingham Post that the company Loungers are planning to open a cafe bar called The Cosy Club in Birmingham City Centre hopefuuly in the Spring

They have purchased the old historic Midland Bank building on Bennetts Hill opposite The Lost and Found bar and Issacs curry restaurant near the already successful Pure Bar and Fumo.

They plan to offer a similar cosy all day cafe with 30’s sofas, a quirky atmosphere and a similar menu. Expect to see vegan/veggie breakfasts up to 6pm, Mac and cheese with a twist, Veggie Bean Burgers, sharing veggie plates and cheese plates, delicious puds and coffee galore.

Details are still a bit vague, but for Birmingham City Centre it should be a great place to chill with good coffee, and a cocktail and for veggies and vegans it should offer more food choice than many other places in the city do.

What with a new restaurant from Lasan and
The Botanist Bar also to open nearby in the Spring, that part of Birmingham will become even more of a haven for foodies.

It should be retitled the Colmore Foodie district.

Keep an eye on my blog for more details on the all the above over the next few months.

Also, now open is Quinto lounge in Sutton Coldfield which is the 5th lounges bar to open in the West Midlands. This has opened this week on the Birmingham Road.

The Lounges Cafe bars are an excellent all rounder. Give one a try. 😊

Arco Lounge: 147 High Street, Harborne, B17 9NP

Loco Lounge: 32-34 High Street, Kings Heath B14 7ST

Desco Lounge: Park life Shopping centre, Stratford Road, Shirley, B90 3AX

Thanks for reading

Andy 😊

@andydhare

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Brum Yum Yum in Kings Heath 20/12 #kingshEATh 11am-5pm

Posted in beer, Events, Food, Food Festivals, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Kings Heath, Real ale, Street Food, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

Brum Yum Yum are due to take over the Village square in Kings Heath in South Birmingham on Saturday 20th December from 11am-5pm.

KingshEATh is a long running streetfood market that usually runs on the 2nd Saturday of every month. It was on last week on the 13th and lucky Christmas festive revellers have a second opportunity to enjoy fine street food, real ale, live music and the local Kings Heath vibe.

There is always plenty of food choice for veggies.

Look out for Bare Bones pizza, Mrs Mills, Ciao-Arancini (well recommended) Big Papas Beautiful South, and Bombay tapas and Pip’s Hot Sauce.

Brum Yum Yum have been selected as one of the top 5 food attractions in Birmingham by Visit Birmingham.

This Saturday see traders:

-Big Papas Beautiful South, soul food and soulful music, deep south
-Rolling smoke
-Flipping cow
-Bare Bones pizza
-Pimpernells Delights
-Nosh & Ciao, Italian street food. Inspired by Italy.
-Bombay Tapas
-Pelima Satay
-Mrs Mills, cakes, bakes, and brownies.
-Pip’s Hot Sauce, devishly spicy chilli sauces, and more

Plus, Live bands, DJ’s, Purity Craft Beer Bar,

and a special Christmas gift Market and ice grotto for children.

That’s Brum Yum Yum at the Village Square, Kings Heath #KingshEATh

11am-5pm 20th December 2014 for festive family fun 🙂

See you there.

Thanks for reading.

@brumyumyum
Facebook/brumyumyum
http://www.brumyumyum

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