Fourth CBD Food Festival dishes up record numbers

A RECORD number of visitors attended the Colmore Business District (CBD) Food Festival in Birmingham earlier this month.

Approximately 26,000 people attended the fourth annual festival, held over a weekend, which showcased 24 of the area’s food and drink venues.

That figure was an increase of around 3,000 on last year’s event. It was helped by some of the hottest temperatures of the year.

Many venues sold out of their offerings before the end of proceedings..

Both days saw seven venues take to the stage to perform cooking and cocktail making demonstrations for the watching crowds, with the highlight being Harry Potter twins James and Oliver Phelps joining chefs Glynn Purnell and David Colcombe as sous chefs on the Saturday afternoon.

Ann Tonks, founding CBD board member and managing director of restaurant Opus at Cornwall Street, said: “This event started as a one-day pilot four years ago and has seen a big increase in visitor numbers each year.

“This was the biggest and best CBD Food Festival we’ve ever put on so to see another record crowd is testament to not only the good taste of Brummies but the quality of the hospitality venues in our district.”

Manager announced for Marcos’ New York Italian

MARCO’S New York Italian, set to open on August 14th in Stratford-upon-Avon, has announced experienced local restaurateur James Curran as its manager.
 
Curran moved to Warwickshire three years ago and has since seen through the successful launches of four artisan catering outlets at Shakespeare’s Birthplace: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Mary Arden’s Farm and Halls Croft.
 
Prior to this he owned and ran the award winning White Hart pub and restaurant in Dorset and has managed a string of branded and independent restaurants in and around Manchester, including Gaucho Grill.
 
He said: “I see Marco’s as the place to go in Stratford, catering for a wide demographic including families, tourists, couples and theatregoers alike.

“We intend to woo our guests with great food in fantastic surroundings and seamless, friendly informal service.”

EastZEast heads south

MANCHESTER-based restaurant group EastZEast is set to open a branch in Birmingham’s Broad Street next week.

It will be the sixth EastZEast restaurant to open in the UK.
 
Owner Kabir Rayman said: “Birmingham is not only the capital of the Midlands by name but also the Midlands’ – if not the UK’s – capital of the great British balti.

“Birmingham is also a hub of vibrant new economic activity, so it was the obvious place by far to open the doors to our newest home of our multi-award winning Punjabi Cuisine.”

Situated at the Five Ways end of Broad Street, the restaurant opens to the public on Tuesday 5th August.

Caribbean BBQ pops ups at shopping mall

VISITORS to a Birmingham shopping centre are being enticed by an unusual attraction – it’s a barbeque using an old oil drum, which ‘pops up’ there from time-to-time.

More specifically, the BBQ is Jerk Kitchen, a mobile street vending operation run by Bailey’s Caribbean Cuisine, whose speciality is jerk chicken.

The Jerk Kitchen ‘pops up’ at The Square shopping centre, Priory Square in Birmingham city centre and is part of a number of attractions designed to boost visitor numbers.

The Square is managed by real estate company Cushman & Wakefield, who have introduced a number of innovations at the shopping centre in a bid to raise its profile.

The Jerk Kitchen initiative was first trialled at The Square in 2012, but has since gone on to become one of the biggest draws at the shopping centre.

Rodger Bailey, owner of Bailey’s Caribbean Cuisine, estimates that around 3,000 people have approached him for tips whilst he has been busy making jerk chicken.