Lifestyle: Food & Drink – Hogarths; Aston Manor Cider; 2 Sisters; Wing Yip

Hogarths wins first AA rosette

SOLIHULL hotel and restaurant Hogarths has been awarded its first AA rosette for culinary excellence.

The Bar8 Brasserie at Hogarths Hotel & Restaurant in Four Ashes Road has gained the national accolade under the direction of head chef Alex Alexandrov.

An inspector from the nationally renowned scheme visited the restaurant to judge everything from the standard of the service and food to its cleanliness.

Steven Quick, general manager at Hogarths Hotel & Restaurant, said gaining an AA rosette for culinary excellence is a tremendous achievement.

“We are extremely proud of all the staff because it is a collective effort to have secured an AA rosette,” he said.

“This was one of our aims at the start of the year so we are very pleased to have been successful.

“It is testimony to the dedication, hard work and commitment of everyone from the kitchen staff to the waiters and waitresses and it needed a significant contribution from each member of staff in a huge team effort.

The venue’s owners are now targeting the AA’s red stars. There are only 150 hotels in the UK and Republic of Ireland to have earned the accolade.

Aston Manor Cider increases links with rugby league 

BIRMINGHAM-based drinks firm Aston Manor Cider has increased its sponsorship investment in rugby league.

It is part of its growth strategy for the Kingstone Press brand.

Now involved in the sport at every level including Super League, Kingstone Press will have a presence from the amateur and semi-professional ranks to the England test team.

The brand now has a partnership programme with the Rugby Football League (RFL) broader than any deal previously.

The cider has now become an official partner of both Super League and Challenge Cup, the leading league and cup competitions for club sides in the UK.

The relationship with the RFL has also been strengthened further by extending the title sponsorship of the Kingstone Press Championship and Championship One.

Gordon Johncox, Aston Manor Cider’s managing director said: “Kingstone Press has benefitted enormously from the investment that has established a clear presence with the Rugby League community of clubs and fans.

“The relationship and our activation have supported the achievement of significantly increased distribution and sales. 

 

Food group 2 Sisters develops a stronger digital presence  

WEST Midlands food sector giant 2 Sisters has launched a new group website with the aim of giving a stronger digital presence for its corporate identity and a better launch pad for its brands.

The new website – http://www.2sfg.com/ – is the online home for the food producer, which is now one of largest players in the British food sector.

The concept, design and content for the website was managed by the business’ communications team in conjunction with its partner, creative digital agency Cite.

Nick Murray, group head of communications at 2 Sisters, said: “We’re delighted to be able to showcase our business in a brighter, smarter way.

“There was a pressing need to update the existing website as it had been created before the recent explosion of smartphones and tablets in the market.

“It was OK to view on some devices like laptops, but didn’t meet the needs of mobile technology. Given the majority of online content is increasingly read on portable devices, it was time to update our entire website ecosystem and give a truly ‘responsive’ experience – whatever you are viewing on.” 

Thousands see Chinese Lives exhibition at Wing Yip  

BIRMINGHAM-based food supplier Wing Yip has helped to draw more than 2,000 visitors to a new exhibition chronicling the lives of people in the city’s Chinese community.

The company staged the ‘British Chinese Heritage Project | Chinese Lives in Birmingham’ exhibition at its supermarket in Nechells.

Visitors to the exhibition included a mix of business owners, customers and the curious.

A legacy project for the city, the exhibition was created to capture the hidden histories of Birmingham’s Chinese community. It was awarded a grant of £35,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to enables its completion.

The exhibition, which was the result of a 15-month research study, is now part of the city’s archive collection housed at the Library of Birmingham.

Project participants encompassed pillars of Birmingham’s Chinese community including Woon Wing Yip and Professor Rayson Huang, ex-vice chancellor of the University of Hong Kong and the eldest participant in the study having recently turned 95 years old. 

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