Birmingham Chefs look forward to a Taste of Summer!
As the sun continues to beat down across the region, Birmingham’s leading chefs and restaurateurs have revealed what they love most about summer, and the delicious seasonal dishes they have in store for visitors to this year’s Taste of Birmingham.
Taste of Birmingham
Imagine a picnic in a park. Now multiply it by thousands of people. Invite all the best restaurants in the area to contribute the food, and discerning vintners to bring the bottles. Make sure some of the guests are famous chefs happy to help out with cooking hints, and organise live music to eat and drink by. This is a Taste Festival. In 2008 there are five festivals in the UK, plus two in Ireland, all based in city parks and each one proudly focusing on the finest local restaurants and produce.
BBC Good Food Show
What’s your idea of a perfect summer day out? Good company, alfresco dining, delicious food and wine, a bit of shopping and a chance to indulge in one of your favourite interests… food! Then join us at the BBC Good Food Show Summer at The NEC, Birmingham which offers all of these things and so much more. This year’s line-up of TV’s top celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay, James Martin and Simon Rimmer, will all show off their skills in the Summer Kitchen sponsored by Sainsburys' where you can pick up tips, find inspiration or just enjoy the lively entertainment. They’ll work their magic with a selection of summer food in these unmissable shows that are always a sell-out.
National Vegetarian Week
With National Vegetarian Week starting next week we have decided to highlight some of the fabulous restaurants that have a good vegetarian selection. Some of the restaurants are soley vegetarian establishments like Alley Cafe and Squeek in Nottingham and others just have a good large selection of vegetarian dishes restaurants and cafes such as wagamama. National Vegetarian Week runs from 19th - 25th May.
Derbyshire Food and Drink May 2008
Each year Derbyshire County Council organises the 2-day Derbyshire Food Fair at Bolsover Castle, a week long Food Festival of culinary events taking place at venues across the County and the prestigious Derbyshire Food & Drink Awards in the autumn. All of these events aim to showcase the array of top quality produce and local suppliers within the County as well as promoting Derbyshire as a major tourist destination, by highlighting the best eateries within the Derbyshire borders. The 2007 Derbyshire Food Fair attracted over 12,500 people to the County to sample the culinary delights and to see some traditional Derbyshire arts. The 2008 Fair will take place on 17-18 May 2008 at the historic English Heritage site of Bolsover Castle.
Five Rivers, West Bridgford
Other New Restaurants:
Chapel House Hotel and Restaurant
Atherstone, Warwickshire
The Falcon
Hatton, Warwickshire
The Atrium Restaurant
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Red Lion 'on The Green'
Rugeley, Staffordshire
Joe Delucci's Steak and Pasta House
, Staffordshire
Why Not? Premier Cocktail Bar and Restaurant
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Pen-y-Dyffryn Hall
Oswestry, Shropshire
The Boyson Restaurant
Morpeth, Northumberland
Bistro 21
Durham, County Durham
Punchinello
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
The Lamb at Buckland
Buckland, Oxfordshire
Bombay Brasserie
West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
Crickets Inn
Swadlincote, Derbyshire
Boulevard Restaurant
National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham
Around The World In 80 Dishes
, Birmingham
Angelo's
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Chang Thai at The Railway Inn
Swadlincote, Derbyshire
Beeches Bar & Grill
Hampton in Arden, Birmingham
Chang Thai at the King's Head
Hilton, Derbyshire
Deolali Bar and Restaurant
Moseley, Birmingham
Rubens Restaurant
Appleby Magna, Leicestershire
"The Gourmet Society is fantastic. It is a great way for people to eat out for less."
Raymond Blanc
Legendary chef and restaurateur
"The Gourmet Society is a great idea as it encourages people to try out new restaurants and different styles of cuisine."
The Hairy Bikers
Simon 'Si' King
Clarissa Dickson-Wright famed for her part in "2 Fat Ladies" is renowned for her common sense and thus it comes as no surprise that she is a Gourmet Society member!
"For anyone who enjoys eating out, the Gourmet Society card is a definite asset, allowing you to experience more restaurants for less… what could be better?"
Kerry Matthie
Co-Founder of Notts Restaurant Awards
"The Gourmet Society is fantastic; it is a true win-win formula for all involved. I would recommend it to anyone."
Duchess of Rutland
"Myself and many of the players at Nottinghamshire are members, and we all believe the Gourmet Society is a real money saving tool. I saved a small fortune last year."
Jason Gallian
International Cricketer
"Joining the Gourmet Society can make a whopping difference to your restaurant bills. It really pays its way for anyone who eats out regularly."
Alison Davison
Restaurant Critic of The Birmingham Post
"Your customer service is exemplary!!"
Maverine Cole
BBC Radio West Midlands
"It's a fantastic and canny idea, plus it gets people in the North East eating out more. Therefore it gets my vote."
Terry Miller
Winner of Hell's Kitchen
(Proprietor of Rockafella)
"It's a superb idea, this way everyone can enjoy eating out."
Jean Christophe Novelli
'The Nations favourite French chef'