Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
This meal at Upstairs by Tom Shepherd was supposed to be for my birthday in April, but we did not realise how booked up it gets. The next opening slot was for October. Yes, half a year later. We finally made it, just in time for my husband’s birthday instead. This was our first time visiting and we hope to visit them again in future. The experience was amazing and I would highly recommend it.
After a splendid refurbishment, The Green Man Pub & Restaurant is re-open for business from midday (11am for Sunday) for an extensive selection of drinks and real ales, with food served all day until 10pm every day! This delightful premium pub is located in the heart of the picturesque village of Middleton. There is plenty of car parking at the side of the pub and it has its very own garden.
After a splendid refurbishment, The Bulls Head Shenstone is re-open for business from 9am for brunch, with food served all day until 10pm every day! This delightful country pub is located in the small village of Shenstone, near Lichfield, situated next to Birmingham Road since the 17th century. There is plenty of car parking at the side of the pub.
Bodega Bar & Cantina is a vibrant and quirky restaurant that offers authentic homemade South American food and drink. They currently have four branches across the United Kingdom: Birmingham city centre, Worcester, Leicester & Sutton Coldfield (CLOSED). We were invited to test out their refreshed menu at the Sutton Coldfield branch. It is located along the busy Birmingham road which is surrounded by food businesses, shops and houses. There are quite a few places for off-street parking but they are limited by an hour during peak time. It is worth parking at Duke Street or Queen Street car park for longer stays.
Looking something fun to do this Easter? Why not book your child and you a Breakfast or Tea with Easter Bunny at Wyevale Garden Centres till 15th April 2018? The session lasts for approximately 90 minutes and is suitable for children between 3–8 years old. In this event, you and your little ones will be tucking into a delicious meal, enjoy a bunny hunt with a lot of chocolate treats, receive a cuddly toy & fun activity sheet and get to decorate your very own Easter cookie to bring it home!
Last week was our first time visiting the brand new Prezzo restaurant at Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield. In fact, it was also our first time visiting the Prezzo restaurant chain which has more than 280 restaurants across the UK in all different shapes and sizes ranging from old libraries to harbour side eateries taking in the view.
As Christmas is drawing near, Beefeater has launched their Festive Menu to get everyone in the mood! Of course, you don’t always have to have Turkey, you can pick delicious salmon, succulent steaks and many more. There is also a Children’s Festive Menu too! Visit their website for your local Beefeater opening hours, make bookings and check for offers.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co is a restaurant that was first opened in California based on the film Forrest Gump and has since expanded to multiple locations worldwide including London! It is located near Piccadilly Circus tube station, which is very convenient and easy to find! If you happen to be out in the West End, why not visit this awesome place that is filled lots of Forrest Gump film props.
If you’ve had a hard day of shopping at the Birmingham Bullring, why not treat yourself to a nice Afternoon Tea at Chi Kitchen on the 3rd Level inside Debenhams!
******** Please note – Permanently closed ********
Chi Kitchen is a contemporary Pan-Asian restaurant created as an exclusive departmental brand for Debenhams. Currently, there are two restaurants opened in London and Birmingham. The ground floor in Debenhams Oxford Street can accommodate up to 68 guests. While the third floor of Debenhams in the Bullring, Birmingham, can accommodate 108 guests, with both sites also featuring a welcoming champagne bar. Their menu, offers a great variety of tasty and exotic food influenced by Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean food.
Earlier this week, I was invited to attend the HelloFresh and Jamie Oliver Food Foundation event at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurant. I got to meet Patrick Drake, Head Chef and co-founder of HelloFresh, Danny from Jamie’s Food Foundation and their team to learn more about the Food Revolution.
Every May, they hold Food Revolution Day to celebrate success, raise awareness and invite more people, businesses and governments to join the ongoing Revolution. They want this to be an ongoing, global campaign to provoke debate and inspire positive, meaningful change in the way we access, consume and understand food.
This month, they want you create a healthy omelette that symbolises your nation through the ingredients and methods used to create it. It could be a spice that originated from your country, leeks that are grown down the road, something from local history or even using veg that has the same colours as the national flag. The closing date is 3rd June 2016 using hashtag #FoodRevolution to enter via your social media platform.
Since January 2016, HelloFresh has been partnering with Chef Jamie Oliver by introducing Jamie Oliver’s recipes into their boxes. Now HelloFresh customers from UK, Germany, Netherlands and others will be able to cook up a storm using Jamie Oliver’s recipes! If you are not sure what Hello Fresh is, they are food delivery service who deliver a box of all the necessary ingredients direct to your door. There is no waste as it comes with exactly the right ingredients according to the number of people. Also the food is fresh! They will also donate to the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation per Meal Box sold during the partnership. What a great cause!
Spring into the new summer menu at Pizza Express! We are no strangers to Pizza Express and regularly enjoy their gorgeous and delicious meals. While we love their regular menu and we all have our favourite dishes, their new summer menu looks delicious which they’ve just launched.
Yesterday, we popped by to the Pizza Express in Tamworth, which was opened in 2014 next to the Jolly Sailor Ventura Park. There is limited free parking spaces but you could also park at the Sainsbury’s car park or John Lewis on either side. The restaurant can seat 110 people and they get quite busy over the weekend, so it is best to book a table.
The artwork in Tamworth was inspired by local born Seaman, Colin Grazier, who captured codebooks vital for the breaking of the Enigma cipher from a sinking German U boat submarine. A series of screens and a selection of canvases with coded messages provide an intriguing environment based around the Enigma code.
Have you heard that Beefeater have a new spring menu? Yes, now they have added freshly prepared dishes like Surf and Turf, Smoked Salmon On Toast, Spicy Chicken Wings, lighter options and many more. Also, there are Mr Men inspired favourites for the kids menu too. Do check out your local Beefeater for opening hours and offers from their website.
Yesterday, we went to our Ladybridge Beefeater for a meal. The place is very easy to access with a lot of parking and next to shopping areas with shops like Boots, Matalan, Mark & Spencer, Toy R Us etc. It is situated next to Premier Inn with free WIFI. When we arrived, we were shown to our table quickly and both children were given Mr Men colouring sheets.
Bella Italia is now open at Waterfront North Leisure, Walsall. They are surrounded by other restaurants, sports shops, big clothing brands, cinema and many other retailers and there is further development to come. There is plenty of pay and display car parking available and the fee is very reasonable. We paid 2 hours for £1.40, if you required 3 hours, it is only £2!
PizzaExpress was opened at the beautiful Waterfront in Walsall on 12 January 2016. They are surrounded by other restaurants, sports shops, big clothing brands and many other retailers and there is plenty of pay and display car parking available. We did struggle to find the restaurant as our sat nav took us to the wrong place using the postcode. In fact, PizzaExpress is just opposite Crown Wharf Shopping Park.
