Tag Archives: Independent

Land, it’s all in the ingredients: Restaurant Review.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, vegan, vegetarian by

The list of ingredients on The Land tasting menu reads like an autumn almanac of what’s great and good and the best you can get in the Autumn months. That I guess is the ethos of Land that it thinks about the dishes it presents and the ingredients that make them, not delving into the latest trends that are thrown at us daily by the media.

This is what makes Land different to other Vegetarian and Vegan restaurants in Birmingham. The desire to lift the core ingredient to its highest point and make it better. I’ve eaten at L’Enclume in the Lake District and though not in that league Land has a similar ethos to make the small beautiful, inspired by the land.

Land has grown out of the ashes of Bistro 1847 which was the original ingredients led Vegetarian restaurant in Birmingham.

Brought by chefs Tony Cridland and Adrian Luck from 1847 Land sits in the beautiful Great Western Arcade and is a light but warm cosy restaurant with caring and passionate service from Front of house Damien is a joy. They know what they are doing.

After eating the amuse Bouche (below) and home made bread, we both knew we were in for an outstanding night of food. Both were well executed and well presented.

The Chef’s menu that Ruth and I ate from is 6 courses for £40.

A strength of any restaurant in presenting a 6 course menu is how they can take you on a journey from the first course to the last. Land’s chef menu on the night we visited demonstrated the art of delivering this by heightening the anticipation of each course. Well thought out dishes, that folded into each other and told their own story gave a warning feeling that brought a smile to our faces.

Take the Potato-goats cheese, onion, lovage first course: a warming dish, with a depth of autumn flavours that enticed the palate and was beautifully constructed.

A Butternut squash-Laska-chard-noodle dish was a wonderful plate of joy. The soft squash, taken with the tender noodles with a splash of chard made for an interesting flavour that worked on every level.

Next, Celeriac-oyster mushroom- cheddar-truffle, took one of my favourite ingredients-the celeriac and have it a voice of its own. Pitched alongside the humble mushroom and truffle made for an earthy dish that tasted and smelt of Autumn.

We progressed to the Potato and Swede Terrine-pease pudding-tamarind: delicate curry notes wafted through this dish, a harmonious concerto of flavours, beautifully presented, bright, vivid, my favourite course of the night which I could have ate again. A real stunner.

Onto dessert : Pumpkin-walnut-red-current: Another stunningly presented plate of colour that was beautiful as a palate cleanser and what a way to deliver a pumpkin! They’re not just for Halloween. A superb dessert.

The final course, Apple-caramel-bay leaf-hazelnut: a lovely ending to the chefs menu. Tangy Apple with caramel and the crunchy texture of hazelnuts perfectly presented.

In the even tide of Autumn the drawing in of light warrants food that sings and comforts and warms us from the cold glare of Winters approach, Land ticks the promise that all will be ok with the world.

The nature of the produce used and the ingenious presentation demonstrated the best use of the produce of the season.

The focus on the ingredients through the beautifully presented dishes created a harmonious and perfectly flowing tasting menu with Exquisite flavours and textures.

Land provided a culinary celebration of plant focused dining that takes you on a culinary adventure and begs for a return visit.

The best meal of the year.

Our food was complimentary, but all drinks consumed were paid for.

Thanks for reading.

Salad Box will open in Birmingham this October.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Independent, Lunch, Lunch deals, Salad, vegan, vegetarian, Vegetarian takeaways, Veggie by

Healthy fast food chain, Salad Box, will open its doors to the public in Birmingham on Wednesday 16th October, giving away 100 salads across the first two days to celebrate the launch. 

Situated on Great Charles Street Queensway, Salad Box will serve up an array of fresh and nutritious meals and snacks, made using ingredients of the highest quality. Salads, wraps, soups, desserts and juices, as well as coffee from local 200 Degrees, will all be available to help workers in the Second City sustain a healthy diet without compromising their time, energy or savings. 

On Wednesday and Thursday, Salad Box will be giving away 50 free salads each day, first-come, first-serve, from 12:30pm onwards.

The free salads on offer on the day for Vegetarians will be Athena (white cheese, black olives, tomatoes, green leaf mix, cucumber and red onions, with yoghurt & lemon dressing).

Customers will also be able to choose from a menu of delicious classics, or customise their own meal, with a wide range of vegetarian and gluten/vegan-friendly options to choose from.  

Salad Box will also be offering catering services for local businesses to support events and meetings, as well as a delivery platform which will launch later this month. 

Tara Johal, Salad Box franchisee for Birmingham, said: “Our team are so excited to be launching Salad Box in Birmingham and we’re confident that our fellow Brummies will love our range of nutritious salads, wraps, soups, desserts and juices. We can’t wait to open our doors on the 16th October and start fueling the healthy lifestyles of Birmingham’s busy young professionals.”

Founded in Romania in 2012, Salad Box opened twelve restaurants in its home country in the first year. After just seven years, it has not only grown to become the third largest fast food chain in Romania after McDonald’s and KFC, but also a true international success story. Salad Box now has more than 70 outlets across 12 countries in three continents, with stores in some of the most important cities in the world, including New York, Miami, Paris, London and Rome.   

The site in Birmingham will be the second Salad Box in the UK. The first outlet opened on London’s Brick Lane in 2017, and there are plans to open more outlets across the UK in the near future. 

For more information, follow Salad Box UK on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SaladBoxUK/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/saladboxuk/. 

Birmingham’s oldest wine merchant announces expansion plans.

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, City Centre, Wine by

Connolly’s Wine Merchants has announced plans to expand the business with the introduction of a wine bar. A family owned and run business, Connolly’s has a heritage that extends back into the 19th century and the family have been shipping wine into Birmingham since 1906.

The wine bar, ‘Arch 13 at Connolly’s’ will take residence at the front of Connolly’s’ existing address on Livery Street, where it will continue to retail its extensive range of wine, spirits and beers.

Abigail Connolly, daughter of Chris Connolly, who has run the business since 1980, will spearhead the launch of ‘Arch 13’. She said, “Arch 13 will offer a relaxed and informal atmosphere to enjoy wine and well-paired food. This marks a new chapter in the history of our family business and we’re looking forward to welcoming our customers to our first licensed space.”

Arch 13 is due to open in May 2018. The project will create 2 jobs.

Connolly’s has always been many people’s go to place for wine in the city centre so this expansion is a fantastic treat.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

#arch13 @connollyswinejq

Follow Connolly’s here:

Twitter: @connollyswinejq

Facebook: @connollyswinejq

Instagram: @connollyswine

Connollyswine.co.uk

Connolly’s Birmingham

Arch 13,
220 Livery Street,
Birmingham B3 1EU

Phone:

0121 236 3837

Connolly’s Solihull

379 Warwick Road,
Solihull
B91 1BQ,

Phone:

0121 709 3734

Restaurant Review: Raja Monkey, Birmingham.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Independent, Indian restaurants, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie, Veggie foodie by

Birmingham’s current fondness for all things Indian Street Food is in a word becoming interesting though maybe the beginning of its undoing. With two new street food places due to open before Autumn snuggles into Winter, and one recent one Indian Streatery doing well in the centre of Birmingham, you may easily forget the original cafe in Brum that is the funky Raja Monkey.

Owned by the good kids of the Lasan group it strikes one instantly of the organisation and sophistication of its big brother Lasan (though on a smaller more intimate street food scale). Here you find the same high quality ingredients, the same beautiful attentive, polite and obliging service, and the same attention to detail in the cooking, that has heralded lasan as one of best, if not the best Indian palace of gastronomy in Birmingham.

The dishes are simpler here at the roadside Dhaba like Raja Monkey and more authentic.

The dishes show a vibrant complexity of flavours, spicing and cooking that is the sale of the century when you tally it with the price of the dishes.

To say the food is outstanding is in a way to undersell the joy that I experienced. I’ve been before (with Ruth) and salivated over the veggie Thalis and supreme dosas. And yes I’ve eaten so many takeaways from these guys that I’d hate to count up the total bill. Yet compared to some other more recent openings on the Indian Street Food trail Raja Monkey is the Manchester United to the Aston Villa (and I’m a villa fan). One that others should learn from in its effortless simplicity and devotion to the diner having a fine night out.

On this occasion my dining partner wasn’t Ruth, but a guy called Paul (Ruth did know where I was, so I wasn’t dodging fatherly duties, but then I may have been slightly!)

To say Raja Monkey is intimate is an understatement though it’s size doesn’t detract from the comfort of the comfortable long bench seats that recreates the informal rustic street food cafe look well. The walls adorned with retro pictures and artefacts with the faint sound of Indian music in the distance conjures up the road side cafe image it sets out to be.

The food is influenced by the Southern Indian cuisine of the continent.

Set off from the busy Stratford Road in the Hall Green part of Birmingham, Raja Monkey greets and meets that neighbourhood eatery concept well.

The Popodoms or Papads we ate whilst looking at the menu were crisp, served with a deliciously sweet yogurt Raita that had a delicious flavour.

I ate a Samosa Chaat, Chickpeas, potatoes, fried samosa pastry, served cold, piled high, with a soothing spicing that tickled the mouth and danced in the club of classic curry dishes and then somehow betters them making you sigh and dip into your cold beer with joy. An instant satisfying joy.

I also tried the Pau Bhaji, a deeply satisfying Street Food snack of mashed veg Bhaji with roasted pau buns, brioche like with uplifting flavours and spicing made with panache. A very satisfying starter.

We both moved onto a Vegetable Kadai a melange of veggies in a masaledar gravy. Colourful crunchy vegetables with an appetising appearance. Rich with tomatoes, a good chilli heat gave the veg a rich textured flavour that rewarded generously.

Mopped up with an appreciative Roti it was a sensational dish of perfect spicing and immaculate cooking.

A delight of a vegetarian curry.

To finish, a lip smacking soft and spongy Rasmalai was enjoyed. A melt in your mouth texture, and the perfect refreshing pallet cleanser after a spicy curry.

A pudding of pure joy.

Raja Monkey Excels with its Brilliant Vegetarian cooking. They make use of quality ingredients and thoughtful spicing with an artistic touch of sophistication, all without the pomp. It’s self confident and on a Tuesday night the food hit the curry longing spot like a Romalau Lukaku shot on the turn.

Raja Monkey always been good, but to be honest now It excels.

For a sublime, but informal curry with a great value price maybe it can’t be beaten in Birmingham and for Vegetarians if it’s not on your list of places to visit or revisit then I’m afraid you don’t deserve promotion to the Premier league.

A true road side cafe.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

<

Thanks to Paul Fulford for the invite to dine with him at Raja Monkey. My food and drink was complimentary but all views expressed are my own.

Our Food was washed down by a couple of Cobra lagers.

Raja Monkey, 1355 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 9HH.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<
commend a take away from Raja Monkey. Menu on website.

http://www.rajamonkey.co.uk/

My previous review is here:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/vegiefoodie.com/2015/01/23/raja-monkey-authentic-indian-street-food-in-birmingham/amp/

#TastyMorsels: Veggie and Vegan happenings.

Posted in beer, Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Independent, Pop up's, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie, Veggie foodie by

Vegan Vybes are at Two Towers Brewery for a pop up on August  19th. 

They will also be hosting the Kings Heath Vegan Community Market on 29th July from 11am-15.00.

Wolverhampton based company Cakes and Ish will be present.

Karma Collective has announced another vegan business in its collective.

Most people will know Karma Collective through its existing tattoo studio or Purely Vegan Store & deli both located in Kings Heath.

However the latest project is based in Stirchley and is simply named The Pie Shop.

This new venture will bring something new to the ever growing vegan community and hopefully encourage more people to eat cruelty free. 

Stirchley is an up and coming area and Karma Collective hope to bring new interest to the area with a menu full of tasty pies and pizza. The idea is to engage with the local community as well as the established vegan community by opening the first 100% plant based pie shop in the West Midlands and quite possibly the UK.

The menu will offer a growing variety of pies based on everyday favourites to some more unusual combinations. Both savoury and sweet, as well as pizza and differing specials. All served with a choice of vegetables, potatoes or chips.

The Pie Shop aims to provide a basic need for tasty home cooking at affordable prices. The setting is a fusion of olde world meets modern world. 

Eat in or Take away is available and a local delivery service is planned for the future. 

As well as providing tasty food, The Pie Shop will also be raising money for Animal Charities currently supported by Karma Collective by donating profit from certain meals to Wonky Pets Rescue and also The Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice.

The Pie Shop will also host a number of regular evening kitchen take overs with various themes by different caterers. 

You can get all the updates on The Pie Shop by finding them in social media…just search @kcpieshop

The Gunmakers Arms are holding a Vegan cheese night on Thursday 27th July from 7.30pm.

Expect cheese and Two Towers vegan friendly beer.

Sally from the fabulous Vegan in Brum blog will be introducing and talking about the cheeses.

Find her blog here:

https://veganinbirmingham.co.uk/

The event starts at 5.30 with the talk from

Sally at 6.30.

The Beer Yeti blog will also be in attendance matching the beers to the cheese.

http://www.BeerYeti.com

Full details on the Facebook events page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/667550230108218/?ti=cl

This event is part of Birmingham Beer Week 2017.

From the 21-26th August The Vegan Grindhouse are taking over the kitchen of a 1000 Trades in the Jewellery Quarter.

South American food and drinks independents Bodega are opening in Sutton Coldfield.

There menu is full of Vegetarian friendly dishes and has a Vegan menu too. So with cocktails a plenty and a fun filled vibe those summer nights may just go on and on.

Oh, and new Vegan cafe Fressh is due to open in Birmingham at the City Arcade in October.

I’ll have more on that soon.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

All Photos courtesy of restaurants and businesses with thanks.

Brum Vegan Beer fest returns, 20th-22nd July.

Posted in beer, Beer festivals, Birmingham, City Centre, Craft beer, Independent, Real ale, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie, Veggie foodie by

The Brum Vegan Beer and food festival returns this week from the 20th until the 22nd July at The Gunmakers Arms in the city centre.

This year it is one of the events of The Birmingham Beer week.

I've never understood the point in not making all beers, ciders etc vegan and Veggie friendly, after all in an economy that's sales driven surely by doing so you'll sell more beer and everyone will be happy. Of course others will disagree, but I'm a vegetarian so this is important to me. After all it makes perfect sense.

There are many vegan and veggie friendly beers on the market. The range gets bigger and bigger and breweries are now seeing the sense in this.

The Gunmakers Arms will host the festival. There house beer is brewed by Two Towers Brewery, who provide only vegan friendly beers.

The Gunmakers Arms has its own self contained Brewery-Two Towers Brewery.

For this it's third year it will be free entry.

However they are now offering beer tickets for £11.00 for 4 drinks. That means each pint is £2.75. Paid for in beer tokens.

Each ticket can be used on any of the festival dates.

These tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite: see below link.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brum-vegan-beer-fest-ticket-tickets-35862425480

The tickets can be brought on the day from the bar too.

There will be vegan beer in cask, keg, bottle and can formats.

Vegan food will be available on Friday from the superb Real Junk Food Project B'ham, and Saturday from Ubuntu Bakery and foods as well as Some of the food from the Gunmakers Arms.

https://www.facebook.com/TRJFPBrum/

https://www.facebook.com/ubuntubakery/

Brewery's and Beers on offer include are mostly local but include a few from further afield.

You'll find, Two Towers Brewery, Rock N Roll Brewhouse, Birmingham Brewing Company, Art Brewery and Boudicca Brewing Company Amongst others.

The full list of beers are listed below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/435382006794577??ti=ia

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brum-vegan-beer-fest-ticket-tickets-35862425480

The festival runs from 20th July to 22nd and is from noon until 11.pm.

See below link for full details and events of Birmingham beer week.

Birmingham Beer Week

https://twitter.com/birmbeerweek?lang=en

It should be a fantastic festival.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

The Gunmakers Arms, 93 Bath Street, Birmingham, B4 6HG. (0121-236-8486)

For more information on why some beer isn't vegan and veggie friendly see here:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/37350233

Opus fixes the price not the diners options.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Colmore business district, Food, Gastro Card, Independent, Independent Birmingham, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie by

Birmingham restaurant Opus has once again reinvented the wheel with fixing the prices, but not your dining options.

Opus one of the leading fine-dining restaurants in Birmingham, has scrapped the individual prices on its à la carte menu and has instead introduced a fixed price for either two- or three-course dining.

Opus believes it is the only restaurant to have this standout offering. It will enable diners to choose any dish from its full à la carte menu, with a two-course lunch or dinner costing £27.50 or a three-course meal £32.50. 

The vegetarian menu costs £25 for two courses and £30 for three. 

The concept has been spearheaded by award-winning executive head chef Ben Ternent. He said: “Typically you find that the cheaper, fixe prix menus in restaurants offer limited options for diners, but we were keen to do something a little different from the norm.

“We decided that our diners deserved to enjoy our full à la carte options for a fixed price. It’s not something many restaurants do and I’m thrilled to introduce it here at Opus.”

Ben joined Opus, on Cornwall Street, as commis chef shortly after the restaurant launched in 2005 and worked in almost every section of its kitchen before being promoted to executive head chef in 2015, when it celebrated its tenth anniversary.
During his time at the restaurant, Ben has achieved a number of prestigious awards, including being crowned the British Culinary Federation’s Young Chef of the Year in 2006 and achieving his Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Award of Excellence in 2009.

Ann Tonks, managing director at Opus, said: “We’re renowned for doing things a little differently here and because we are independent, we are always looking for new and innovative initiatives that benefit our clientele. Ben’s idea to remove the individual à la carte prices and instead have a fixed price across the whole menu is a great idea and I’m sure our diners will agree, too.

Vegetarians can enjoy dishes such as creamy goats cheese mousse, roasted English tomato and red pepper soup plus Leicestershire wild mushroom and truffle Wellington, Evesham beetroot risotto and tian of Pershore vegetables followed by a warm dark chocolate fondant or raspberry and blueberry iced parfait and a strawberry pudding, the choice is truly yours. 

Diners can, of course, choose one course only if they prefer and those dishes are individually priced.”

The menu is available for lunch Monday to Friday and dinner Monday to Saturday.

Click to access Vegetarian-Menu.pdf

For full menu information, visit: 

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

Goats cheese tart 

Beetroot risotto

Strawberry pudding

Ben Ternent.


Opus Restaurant Vegetarian Source Dinner with Worcester Produce is also on Friday July 16th at 7pm.

The Source Dinner series includes this Veggie extravaganza. Enjoy 5 courses with wine pairing in conjunction with Worcester Produce. The fruit, vegetables and salad are grown in their nurseries and farms in the Vale of Evesham, picked on day one and are in the Opus kitchen on day two. It’s always an evening to savour.

Look out for my review soon. 

 Price £65 pp. 

Call 0121-200-2323 for booking. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Thanks to Opus and Clive Reeves PR for the photos. 

Restaurant Review: Zindiya, Moseley. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, curry, Curry restaurants, Independent, Moseley, Street Food, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by


Close your eyes And you can well imagine a perfect restaurant. Service tick, ambience tick, food tick, atmosphere tick, drinks tick.

Then tuck into the written word of those in the know, or whom think they do and then you’d feel well what’s the point in visiting it sounds so perfect. 

Me included have waxed lyrical about this place (at the time without trying it, lesson learnt) and from my point of perspective well it’s based entirely on the perceived menu and it’s very veggie friendly leanings. 

The written word, the gospel according to Birmingham is not always entirely accurate. 

It’s not that Zindiya is poor it’s just on the night Ruth and I visited, shall I say underwhelming and disapointing.

The hype suggested get your chops round this, and you’ll be reborn, but then when those chops get chewing and ready to rock and roll we found a game of two halves Saint.  It’s a game of two halves. 

I wanted zip and zing but didn’t find it sadly. 

Specialising in Indian street food dishes the menu is full of Vegetarian options which should make it essential and full of taste explosion and colour. 


Now Imagine you are in India, smell the air, the food, the atmosphere. Now let’s get our hands dirty and snack our lips with the intoxication of flavours. 

Unfortunately we aren’t in India. 

The good bits: Well we had two more than decent Dishes. 

An excellent traditional fast food dish Papri (Papdi) Chaat, which melted in the mouth and was very comforting that warmed the palate and an indulgent Idli Sambar, tifin dish. Idli’s are a traditional breakfast dish a savoury cake (for dipping) which came with a flavoursome Sambar, a touch of hot lentil soup with some nice textures of vegetables running through it. A Very enjoyable dish. 

Plus we ate An ok Hara Bhara Kebab, which was different. A snack like a cutlet that had subtle veg flavours with slightly bland spicing that made it not very binge worthy sadly and a bit dry. The dip alongside was also underwhelming. 

We also ate the Chilli Paneer which was not to my taste, and left me stunned with disappointment to its bland sweetness, and didn’t lift the paneer to any heights.

The masala chips, we ate were sadly disappointing with very little flavour (apart from a resemblance to a McDonalds fry without the salt) and if they were homemade chips then I’ll be Greavsie to the aforementioned Saint and then a unremarkable desert of chocolate balls filled with strawberries, served with chilli ice cream. (Chocolate Gol Gappe). 

Ruth ordered an ok Alphonso Mango Sorbet. 

I also drank a nice Massala Chai. 

As an aside I would have liked some Poppadoms to nibble on with thecmenu and maybe some Pani Puri on the menu. 

Papri Chaat

Hara Bhara Kebab

Idli SambaarChilli paneer 


Maybe we just chose badly on the food front and we missed a jewel from a long menu, but it wasn’t just the food but the whole experience that felt underwhelming and a tad dull, forced and lacking energy which for a street food cafe which promises authenticity and a buzz was surprising. 

The atmosphere felt stilted, more restaurant than cafe, not at all lively and bustling like I imagined an Indian street food gaff to be.

It was a Saturday night so that’s unusual in Moseley, right? 

Staff are friendly and helpful to a degree,  a bit chatty but didn’t inform us about their so called amazing cocktails or beers that I keep reading about or about any beer, cocktail matching with the food. Shame! 

Small bites careering from good to not so. Some a bit dreary (masala chips) some unforgettable (chilli paneer) An evening of what ifs and why nots. 

It’s a most peculiar place. 

When the food’s good my it’s good but then at times the place feels confused, unsure of itself, and it’s concept. But then I suppose  we aren’t in the hot aired and noisy streets of India, but hipster Moseley with its drip fed trendiness and right on smiles and why not there’s a lot to smile about in this part of South Birmingham. Stand up Cheval Blanc, Kababish, Sabai Sabai and Carters. 

So it should be more authentic right? After all Moseley can cope with this can’t it? 

Pluses. There’s lots of veggie choice. Which is fantastic. More than anywhere I know outside a veggie restaurant. Which I guess makes it more disappointing to me. This alone should get me a season ticket and get me dancing Bollywood style. A sight to behold! 

I liked the decor, the outside is bright, cheery, but gives the impression you are entering a lively eatery which sadly wasn’t our experience. Inside touches of Bollywood, bright and airy. 

It’s quite large too which I think doesn’t help the street food vibe, unlike Raja Monkey or Indian Brewery maybe it didn’t feel cool and intimate. 

There are places in Birmingham that do this better with more panache, better cooking, more simplistic style. More authenticity and self confidence, more cafe than restaurant. 

More crafty.

Zindiya didn’t feel anything special and a muddle of ideas served in a muddled way. I feel sad writing this. It’s a shame. I so wanted to love this place. 

It undermined the decent dishes. 

There’s some work needed on pulling the whole thing together, making the experience more seamless, explaining the dishes, exploring the tastes of the diners more, (both food and drinks)  making the whole experience more authentic. Bringing the street element more into focus. 

It felt like a restaurant not street food cafe. 

And yes, please remember to promote your cocktails and craft beer to me. Aren’t they supposed to be special. To be shouted about. 

Or at least as good as the chaat.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Disclaimer: We paid for our food and drinks in full. All opinions are my own and an honest reflection of the experience we had on the evening. 

Zindiya, 21 Woodbridge Road, Birmingham, B13 8EJ. 

0121-439-0593.

http://www.zindiya.co.uk/

Veggie Foodie tip: 

Do try Cheval Blanc in Moseley for cocktails and wine before and after a meal. The food is also raved about with veggie options on the menu.

I’m up for a food visit soon.

Also Carters of Moseley is outstanding for a special night of vegetarian seasonal decadence. 

The Kababish for curry. Delightful veggie dishes in nice surroundings. Tarka Daal anyone? 

Visit Sabai Sabai for sumptuous Thai food. 

AH.

#TastyMorsels: New Veggie and Vegan happenings.

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Caribbean, City Centre, Food, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Moseley, Pubs, Thai, Thai food, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie, Veggie foodie by

Nyam Nyam will be bringing their Caribbean vegetarian and Vegan food to the Moseley Festival on the 1st July. 

http://www.facebook.com/nyam_nyam_brum for updates and details on menus.

The second Vegan Vybes event is set for Saturday 17th June at Kings Heath Community Centre on Heathfield Road. 

They are popping up to share with you the joys of vegan living through urban food. Come and have a great time, meet new people, enjoy a truly lovely community atmosphere and take part in the vegan vybe. 


The Real Junk Food Project have another one of their Vegan pop ups at The Gunmakers Arms on the 17th June from 6-9pm.  Free admission. 

In fact they are at The Gunmakers Arms every month with vegan friendly beer from Two Towers Brewery. 

Pizza Express have announced that From June 20th, they will have a Vegan mozzarella alternative on the menu.

Made in Italy using Italian ingredients, it melts perfectly in the pizza oven and gives a creamy finish to any pizza. To celebrate, they have taken some of their favourite ingredients and created a new pizza recipe that combines artichokes with new season asparagus, red onion, garlic oil, black olives and seasoning all on a classic dough and passata base. Called the Vegan Giardiniera. 
The vegan mozzarella is available across the board on all their pizzas. 

Read more from their Head of Food and Drink, Holly Davies, here: 

https://www.pizzaexpress.com/news/vegan-giardiniera


Moseley craft beer festival is on from the 28th-30th July at The Dark Horse. Expect to find Vegan and Veggie friendly beers and lots of laughs. 


Burrito top dogs Habaneros have begun a kitchen residency at craft beer pub 1000 Trades in the Jewellery Quarter. Expect some lip tastic veggie friendly burritos and tacos on the menu. Otherwise catch them In  city centre near the cathedral in their street food burrito mobile. 

Tipton pie people Mad O’Rourke’s have a Brewery selling pies opening later in the year in Digbeth. Veggie and vegan pies a plenty. Expect opening sometime after August. Watch this space. 

Finally, Veggie Foodie favourites Sabai Sabai will be opening up a fourth venue for their fine Thai food in Birmingham City Centre. Open later this year on Waterloo Street. 

Following on from the original Moseley restaurant, Harborne, and Stratford Upon Avon. 

See you there. 


Here’s my latest review of Sabai Sabai https://t.co/s1aprNIf3g

That’s all folks. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

#Digmas: Christmas Fair with Vegan stores and Veggie/Vegan food. Saturday 26th November.

Posted in Christmas, City Centre, Custard Factory, Digbeth, Events, Food Festivals, healthy, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Street Food, Veggie by

Merry #Digmas:

Brum’s favourite independent Christmas fair and family day out returns to the Custard Factory!

Kick off the festive season in style at #Digmas, Birmingham’s favourite independent Christmas fair and family day out. The fun-filled event will return to the Custard Factory at the heart of Birmingham’s Creative Quarter on Saturday 26 November from 11am to 6pm. 

Entry is free. There’ll be something for everyone in the family; from street food, gin, craft beer and market stalls for the adults to Santa’s grotto, face painting and craft activities for the kids.

Tara Newman, Head of Events at the Custard Factory, said “#Digmas is a Digbeth tradition for foodies, friends and families looking for an alternative to the usual pre-Christmas crush on the high street. It’s the perfect opportunity to pick up some unique stocking fillers, enjoy a day out and get into the festive spirit”.

At the heart of the Custard Factory there’ll be a lively indoor market with high quality art and crafts from the Paperdolls Handmade Markets plus locally-made cakes, chocolates and other goodies. 

There’ll be Vegan stalls filled with gifts, and fashionistas can peruse the rails of clothing from a selection of leading brands.

Shoppers will enjoy browsing the Custard Factory’s resident shops who will all be open during the day’s festivities. They can enjoy a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate whilst revelling in live music by the lakeside from Bostin Brass, The Glamophones and a cheerful carol singing quartet.

Foodies will tantalise their taste buds with some of the best street food in the city and dishes include macaroni cheese,  warming soups, spicy curries and irresistible churros and chocolate. Plus cakes by Mrs Mills. The covered food court will have a great atmosphere with a DJ playing festive favourites, perfect for meeting up with friends to enjoy a glass of gin or craft beer from the pop-up bars.

The kids will have a great time too with a visit to Santa’s grotto and a packed programme of festive storytelling performances, craft activities, cupcake decorating and face painting.

 #Digmas is free to enter and all ages are welcome to enjoy the fun, food and festivities. Advanced booking for some activities is recommended. 

http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/digmas2016 for more information.

Alongside all of the fantastic entertainment, food and activities already revealed, they have been working with local organic and Vegan friendly drinks company U-Juice to curate a friendly selection of vegan stalls at #DIGMAS! Food & drink, clothing, jewellery, beauty products and lots, lots more – all produced ethically and organically.


Other Vegan and Veggie friendly traders also thete will be Aah Lovely, (handmade gifts including ceramics, bags and cards), Dr Ice ( Men’s grooming products), Viva la Vegan (organically made clothing and best fashion brand award winners), Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary, (handmade gifts) Badger’s Dairy Free, (side dishes), Purely Vegan (Vegan Grocers) The May Bakery (Vegan cakes, cupcakes and cookies) Honest Skincare, and Custard Factory resident Clink craft beer have a Vegan range too. 

The May Bakery.

Street Food from Littlesixtythree ( soups and stews) locally produced served with fresh crusty bread and Quarter Horse Coffee and Hot chocolate. 


Yumlaut: traditional German Sausage with Vegan-friendly and deliciously named ‘Veggie Brat’.

Churros Susanna: Churros and chocolate. Plus dairy free. Sugary happiness. 


Veggie Foodie favourites The Indian Rasoi: Indian Street Food and curry to warm you up. 


Holy Moly Macaroni: Macaroni cheese who are launching on The Birmingham  street food scene at #Digmas, plus offering a Vegan option that replaces cheese with butternut squash. Comfort food with a difference. 


Holy Moli Macaroni.

Plus drinks from Gin Box and Clink Craft Beer who will have vegan/veggie choices. 

Read more about the Vegan stalls on offer on Sat 26th here: 

http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/uncategorized/digmas-2016-first-vegan-ethical-market-custard-factory/

Looks a lovely way to kick off the Christmas period, and celebrate Birmingham’s independent and creative scene. 

The Custard Factory and sister venue Fazeley Studios are based in Digbeth a short walk from Birmingham New Street and The Bullring shopping centre in the heart of Birmingham. The area has long been established as one of the countries leading creative and digital business destinations, with a thriving business community residing alongside Birmingham’s independent retailers. 

http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/

http://www.fazeleystudios.com/

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

The Glamophones who will be singing at #Digmas.

All images and photos courtesy of The Custard Factory.