Latest news with #BrumFoodClub
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I took a 'restricted' country road near Birmingham and ended up in an 'unreal' pub
"What's the worst that can happen?" I thought as I scooched my little car around the a restricted traffic sign blocking through-access to the pretty hamlet of Wixford. I was in the Warwickshire countryside, just half an hour from town, in search of a beautiful beer garden in which I might see planes passing overhead in the direction of the Midlands Air Festival. I don't love planes even half as much as I enjoy beer garden pints, so I took a glance at maps before we set out towards Alcester where I might enjoy both at the same time. Read more: Free family festival returns to park near Birmingham after six years Subscribe to the Brum Food Club for a weekly food and drink newsletter, in your inbox, every Thursday. It's free. Cheeky, I know, but judging by all the people sitting on the roofs of their cars along the country lanes on the approach to Alcester, I wasn't the only one that wanted to see what it was all about without committing to spending all day at the show if I didn't enjoy it. The Fish Inn at Wixford was my destination, a boozer just over the A46 and the River Arrow from Ragley Hall where the festival was taking place. The road sign did say that cars destined for Wixford were permitted and thank God it did, otherwise I wouldn't have found pub heaven. The Fish Inn is a charming pub, run by the family-owned Honeybourne Pub Company, with exposed wooden beams and darling cosy old features. The garden, though? It's exquisite. Pub perfection. We grabbed a couple of cold ones and found a picnic table easily, situated equidistant between the children's wooden play area and the banks of the river. While kids clambered on the equipment, sprinting over to explore the circular nooks in the bridge spanning the river, there was nothing chaotic about any of it. I expected some screaming and hollering but the calming riverside vibes seemed to keep everyone chill because the little ones were beautifully behaved. Groups of friends, families, couples and solo drinkers soaked up the sun, on the wooden tables and benches, on fold-out chairs they'd brought themselves and on picnic blankets on the grass. One little girl bounced around in a rubber ring before jumping on a kayak to paddle on the calm water with her dad. Birds swooped and soared, dragonflies shimmered by and, overhead, jets zoomed in the sky toward Ragley. No phone signal meant everyone was in the moment, laughing and chatting and catching up, pausing to marvel at the sky when fighter jets swooped, biplanes loop-the-looped and planes with people standing on their wings swooshed by. We even saw one drop parachuters, the team swirling in formation, smoke billowing to create patterns in the air. At that point, not that they could hear it, but everyone in the beer garden cheered. We only popped in the pub to re-up on drinks and, when we couldn't possibly tear ourselves away much later in the day, to order food. I'll tell you about that in another article; there's a £3 snack that deserves a story dedicated solely to it. I've never been to a more beautiful beer garden. Even if the planes hadn't been zipping over our heads, it'd have been a ten-out-of-ten Saturday afternoon. We spent most of it in silence, sipping and admiring the bridge and feeling just very, very lucky to exist in the centre of all of this green and pleasant land. Unreal! The little flashes of the Midlands Air Festival had me sold - next year I'm getting tickets so I can see it all up close. But I'll be back to The Fish a hundred times before then. Have you ever seen a more gorgeous garden? Let me know in the comments below what I'm missing and make sure, if you're going, to take a designated driver - they've got some good 0% beers on, I promise. The Fish Inn is at Wixford, Alcester, B49 6DA. This review was independent, conducted at random and all drinks were paid for by the reporter.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Birmingham restaurant forced into major change due to 'ongoing price hikes'
A Stirchley restaurant renowned as being one of the best in the city has announced it will be cutting its opening hours 'to help ease the pressure' caused by 'ongoing price hikes'. Eat Vietnam announced that it would be closing on Mondays for the next four weeks while it works to fight the growing impact of price hikes. The news comes after April rises in National Living Wage and National Insurance. Read more: Cast your vote as we search for the 'Best Cafe in Birmingham 2025' Sign up to the Brum Food Club for weekly updates on our hospitality scene. A fellow independent restaurant in Stirchley, Greidy Street, outlined last week how they were 'dodging the final nail in the coffin' by pushing prices up, adding that it had seen price hikes across meat, beer and packaging. Eat Vietnam opened in Stirchley in 2019 and has built up a reputation as being one of the finest restaurants in Birmingham. The Vietnamese eatery was shortlisted for Best Pan Asian Restaurant in the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards 2025 on the same day it announced cuts to its hours. In a post online, the restaurant wrote: "Mondays off due to the ongoing price hikes impacting our business. "We've decided to consolidate our workforce and hours to help ease the pressure. 14th, 21st, 28th and 5th off. "Working Tuesday to Saturday usual hours. "Apologies in advance. We will look at this again in a month's time and make adjustments as needed for the summer season." Hospitality businesses across the region have been speaking on how price hikes are impacting their business. When Michelin Guide Indian restaurant Asha's announced it had been given an award from the Indian government last week, general manager Nouman Farooqui told BirminghamLive that Asha's was also 'struggling' under the pressure of rising costs. He said that despite the visits from top celebrities and the global acknowledgement for their work representing Indian flavours in Britain, things were 'tough'. Click here to read the full interview.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beloved Birmingham bakery among the UK's best closed 'until further notice'
A beloved bakery named among the best in Britain has temporarily closed its neighbourhood hotspot. French boulangerie Levain and Cherry has been selling bread and cakes from its Kings Court bakery in Kings Heath since August 2020 and has gone on to be named among the best artisans in Britain. However, after launching a second venue in Stirchley last week, the bakery has struggled to operate two branches given staff shortages. Read more: I queued to try 'perfect' Birmingham bakery so popular it now needs a second shop Subscribe to the Brum Food Club for a weekly food and drink newsletter, in your inbox, every Thursday. It's free. It now says that it will only operate from Stirchley's Pershore Road until the issue is resolved. Dozens of customers queued up to buy fresh bakes and coffee from Levain and Cherry's second branch when it opened on March 14. Addressing followers on its Instagram story, the bakery - owned by Pascal Bishop - said: "Hey everyone! We just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for your support and patience. "Due to staff shortages (which we're working hard to fix) we'll be open in Stirchley only from tomorrow until further notice. "We're so sorry for the inconvenience this might cause and truly appreciate you sticking with us. "You guys are the best - we'll keep you updated as soon as things chance. See you in Stirchley!" Levain and Cherry decided on expanding into Stirchley after saying they hoped to meet the growing demand of customers. Pascal told BirminghamLive that he'd had to turn down orders as so many people wanted to try the bakes. Back in February, more than 100 experts voted for their favourite artisans in Britain as part of the British Baker's top 13 artisan bakeries list. Levain and Cherry came seventh in the Bakers Dozen. The new Stirchley branch of Levain and Cherry can be found at 1257 Pershore Road, Stirchley, B30 2YT.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mum known for 'amazing' cakes opens soft play and roleplay centre near Birmingham
A baker known for her 'amazing' cakes has created a new 'Playroom' at her community hub cafe. Gemma Hamill has two branches of Naked Bakes, the first in Kings Heath and a second in Wythall's Woodrush Community Hub. Now Gemma has expanded her second site to include a role play and softplay area, with a little kitchen, cake shop and more as a place where 'little ones can thrive'. Read more: Michelin chef shares brutal truth of running Birmingham restaurant admitting 'it's too hard' Subscribe to the Brum Food Club for a weekly food and drink newsletter, in your inbox, every Thursday. It's free. The mum-of-one opened her first branch of Naked Bakes back in June 2022 after her cakes went viral on Instagram. She's since earned the support of the community with her beautiful bakes and warm family atmosphere, gaining an overall rating on Google review of 4.9 out of five. Before explains how her background has helped shape Naked Bakes' latest project. See full photo gallery of The Playroom at Naked Bakes HERE. "Before I was baking my career was supporting little ones and their families," she said. "I'm a qualified teacher with a background in early years, family support and all things baby! "I'm also a baby massage and baby yoga instructor. I started my first business at 19, running princess pamper parties. "I feel this journey has come full circle, and I couldn't be happier to combine my passions." Gemma says that the new space is for 'all the moms, moms-to-be and families' who have visited Naked Bakes for their 'coffee breaks and conversations'. She said: "My goal has always been to create a warm, welcoming space, a place where you can feel supported, celebrated, and, of course, enjoy some cake too!" Gemma said that 'everything changed' when she had her daughter Alba five years ago. "She's my inspiration for becoming self-employed and creating spaces that truly cater to what moms and families need," Gemma explained. "She's taught me so much about what it means to balance play, connection, and community and I've poured all that into my new venture." The new Playroom was designed by Gemma and built by her dad Barry Hamill. Gemma took over the cafe in Wythall in June 2024 and has been working to perfect the place ever since. "The Playroom is a space filled with soft play, role play, and endless fun for little ones. Whether you're a mom-to-be, a new mom, or simply looking for a family-friendly space to relax, I've designed this with you in mind. "My goal has always been to create a safe, welcoming environment where moms can feel supported and little ones can thrive. I can't wait to share this journey." The new Naked Bakes Playroom is at the Wythall Community Hub, Shawhurst Lane, B47 5JW.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Restaurant closes after winning Michelin star due to 'deeper problem'
A restaurant in Worcestershire that was awarded a coveted Michelin Green Star just weeks ago has announced it has closed 'for the foreseeable future'. Native, the sustainable restaurant that took over where the former Pensons was on the Netherwood Estate, says that it is experiencing 'a deeper problem' following issues with its extraction system. Customers have been told that all future reservations have been cancelled and those who have put down deposits will receive full refunds within seven working days. Read more: Great British Menu chef quits Michelin restaurant weeks after winning star Subscribe to the Brum Food Club for a weekly food and drink newsletter, in your inbox, every Thursday. It's free. The restaurant was led to success by Great British Menu chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes who has now announced his departure from Native. Customers enquiring about bookings and future plans are now being met with automated replies that tell of 'extreme lows' when contacting the restaurant, which sits on the border between Worcestershire and Herefordshire. It reads: "Extreme highs are often followed with extreme lows. "Following the amazing news at this year's Michelin awards we have returned home to find a broken extraction system. "What we hoped was a quick fix turns out to be a deeper problem with our systems and so sadly, cannot be an immediate fix. "The large cost to repair this equipment is unfortunately the straw that broke the camel's back and has had a huge detrimental effect on a small business with such tight margins and unfortunately has put us in a position whereby the directors at Hestia Ltd have taken the decision to close the restaurant for the foreseeable future. "We have cancelled all future reservations via our online booking system and if you have paid a deposit a full refund will have been actioned already, you can expect this back within seven working days." It added: "We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused and wish all our customers well for the future." It's a sad blow for food fans who enjoyed sampling dishes using produce grown in Native's own garden. The restaurant opened in May 2024, a replacement for Michelin Star hit restaurant Pensons. Chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes is yet to publicly announce his next move. A Green Michelin Star is reserved for restaurants that excel with sustainability at the core of their operations. There are now only 34 restaurants in Britain that hold the award.
