Love Stirchley More, billed as ‘an alternative Valentine’s experience celebrating Stirchley’, has ambitions to take things up a notch or two in the area during three days in February, promising a ‘love boat show’ from Area fave Barbara Nice, free love tattoos from Skinny’s Ink, pop-up food experiences from Loaf, a love seat which doubles up as a roaming art installation and gloriously, a carnival procession from Bournville train station (breathe in the chocolate aroma from Kraftbury’s as you exit) down to Stirchley High Street – all based around Tina Turner’s Eighties hit What’s Love Got To Do With It.

The festival, organised by CIC Place Prospectors, maps out how genuine community action from the ground up, blended with fun, curiosity and a real sense of purpose can help to bring retailers, residents and creative tourists together regardless of the built environment around them.

And anyway, it’s 2013 for God’s sake. Time to throw off the shackles of capitalism, steer clear of the mass produced Valentine’s shite in Clintons and go help support local businesses and grass roots artists whilst doing something a little different with your loved one or date this 14th February. And if he or she doesn’t like it then they’re obviously not adventurous enough, and probably not the one for you anyway. Go Team Stirchley!

Love Stirchley More
14 February and Saturday 16 February (evenings only)

Words: Lyle Bignon

Cadbury’s Selection Box: Not exactly groundbreaking, but Cadbury’s is Birmingham’s biggest and proudest food manufacturer.  Putting grumblings about Kraft to one side – ‘tis Christmas after all – who doesn’t feel a swell of nostalgia and joy upon sight of a finger of Fudge or a Wildlife Bar? With nearly 200 years of chocolatey heritage, each selection pack is a scrumptious Brummie time capsule. You can even build your own customized selection box online. www.cadburygiftdirect.co.uk

Balti Kit: The Balti is arguably Birmingham’s greatest contribution to UK culinary culture. Whilst taking your mates for a curry would be a generous gesture, why not give them the gift of curry throughout the year? Head down the Soho Road or to your local Asian supermarket and stock up on bags of East End Spices. These local spice legends have been adding colour and flavour to Birmingham tables for 35 years. Scribble down some favourite curry recipes and parcel it all up in an authentic balti pan. www.curry-lover.co.uk

The Black Country Hamper: Ideal for Tiptonians in London exile, this little box of treats is the true taste of the Black Country. Pork Scratchings from Midland Snacks, Herbal Tablets from Teddy Grays, a slab of Bread Pudding from the Pork Joint in Cradley Heath and a hunk of finest Black Pudding, all washed down with a bottle of Bathams Bitter (pictured). The more adventurous can also add some of Trailhead’s spicy beef jerky, a trendy newcomer but Black Country through and through! www.teddygrays.co.uk | www.trailheadfinefoods.co.uk

Brew a Beer in Day: Sadlers Ales offer this unique real ale experience at their CAMRA award winning tap house, The Windsor Castle in Lye. The beer packed day includes breakfast, lunch and, err, lots of beer.  Guests get to mash, boil and pitch their own signature brew with help on hand from Sadler’s expert brewers before indulging in a beer sampling session. If the £99 price tag is a bit too steep, check out the more affordable Brewery Tour that comes in at just £15 and includes a beer infused Ploughmans. www.sadlersales.co.uk

Regional Cheese Selection: Nothing says: “I love you” quite like the gift of stinky cheese. Pop into Anderson and Hill in the Great Western Arcade to stock up on fine local cheeses. Fair enough, there aren’t cows grazing on Pigeon Park, but this excellent gourmet delicatessen prides itself of stocking the best cheese from neighboring counties (the ones with more grass).  The staff know their stuff and will happily help you to build a dream cheeseboard for that someone special… www.andersonandhill.co.uk

Cocktail Masterclass: Buy a man a martini and he’ll feel like Bond for an evening, teach him how to make a martini and he’ll feel like a very drunk Bond all year round. The Jekyll and Hyde’s exclusive and intimate Gin Parlour makes an excellent destination for a two-hour masterclass (£25 per person) with the bar’s expert bartenders.  They talk guest through the history of cocktail culture before teaching them how to make classic cocktails that they can recreate at home. 2013 looks set to be a good year for house parties!
www.thejekyllandhyde.co.uk 

Words: Jenny Evans

ART
Beat Strueli at Ikon Gallery
Frame
4:3

MUSIC
Gigs coming up in December

COMEDY
Barbara Nice’s Countdown to Christmas

FOOD & DRINK
Your guide to Brummie & Black Country foodie gifts
Review of Lac Artiste, Astbury Hall
Winter Cocktails at Le Truc

FASHION & SHOPPING
Where to buy your quirky xmas gifts
Design Space Festive Pop Up
Xmas Gift Guide

CHRISTMAS
Great things to do during December

COMPETITIONS
Win £250 in Dwell vouchers
Gadgets
CDs & DVDs
Clothes Show Tickets
…and lots more

Thanks to Nicola Palmer for the super-cute cover illustration.

There is a small scene of increasingly female-led drinking events and experiences that have been popping up over the last 18 months and one is the Birmingham Whisky Club started by Amy Seaton. Rather than sit around waiting for something to happen Amy’s get up and do it yourself attitude, and love of whisky, gave her good enough reason to start a tasting club and help kick-start a whisky scene in Birmingham. 

“The drink is growing in popularity around the world and amongst younger people,” comments Amy. “Other cities already have a lot going on and I thought with the burgeoning independent food and drink scene this would be a good fit. I found Craig Mills, a whisky expert with over 20 years experience in whisky retail and a great lover of the drink himself, and together we run the club.”

The regular monthly tutored tastings are based on themes such as ‘Whiskies of the World’, ‘Tour of Scotland’ or ‘Rare and Vintage’ and distillers are also invited to host events. November’s ‘Peat Freaks’ event offers a tutored tasting for fans of more peated whiskies with Isle of Islay distillers; Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Lagavulin.

Peat Freaks – Tutored Whisky Tasting
Upstairs at the The Old Joint Stock, 22 November, 7pm start. £25 per person

The club will be celebrating their first Birthday with a festival and tasting event. The event will take place in the private rooms of the Old Joint Stock on Saturday 1st December between 12:00 – 17:00. Upstairs will be a room for distillers/brands to showcase their stock – visitors will be able to taste around 50 whiskies and chat to people behind the stands to understand how to taste and what to look out for.

Downstairs there will be two tasting sessions: cheese and whisky matching and whisky for the festive season - both a great way of exploring the drink in a bit more detail. This would be an ideal afternoon for the whisky expert, or a novice trying to gain knowledge about the world of whisky. The Whisky Shop will have a stand showcasing their Christmas stock and will be giving people a 10% discount for any whisky bought on the day. We will also be running a competition to win tasting tickets, bottles of whisky and tickets to a distillery tour.

You can buy a ticket for just the main festival room at £25, go to one of the tasting sessions from £20, or combine them to get a bit of money off.

More info can be found www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk

Forget the wine list as each secretly devised dish will be paired with a different style of beer inkeeping with a formal dining experience. As part of the ticket guests will also receive a Purity gift pack and drinks to take home.

28 November, 7pm
Simpsons, Edgbaston 
Tickets £85 per person
0121 454 3434

In this issue:

ART
Exhibitions at New Art Gallery Walsall
Round up of Eye Candy Festival

MUSIC
Interview with Tim Burgess
Eastern Electronics Festival

COMEDY
Jack Dee
Interview with Lee Nelson

FILM
The Shout Film Festival
Last Shop Standing

FOOD
Sonic Feast

FASHION
Gothic Glamour

and comprehensive listings for November….

Tonight, Opus restaurant based on Cornwall Street will be hosting its 5^th annual New Zealand inspired wine tasting event, celebrating the best wines from the stunning island country.

Hosted by Adrian Burns from premium wine agency Fields Morris & Verdin, the event will include an autumn themed four course meal with each dish being accompanied by a succulent new wine handpicked by Adrian, who will share with diners his experiences of the region along with the rationale behind each wine choice.

The event is held annually to celebrate the ongoing, close relationship between award winning Opus and the Isabel Estate vineyard based in Marlborough, New Zealand, along with one of the estates best loved brands from the Tiller family vineyard which has been in residence at the estate since 2005.

Opus Managing Director, Ann Tonks commented on the evening: “From the day we opened our focus was great food and wine and the Isabel Estate embodies this. We’ve enjoyed a close relationship with the estate and the tiller vineyard and this event is a way for us to celebrate this.”

One not to be missed, the event promises great food an even better wines and maybe even a bit of inspiration when choosing wine for your next dinner party.

A limited amount of tickets for the four-course New Zealand wine dinner are still available and priced at £65, including tasting wines. For more details, or to book tickets call 0121 200 2323 or visit www.opusrestaurant.co.uk.

Chef Director David Colcombe cooking up a storm at Opus.

The CBD Festival is back with over 20 venues serving taster options priced from as little as £1.50 to £5 in Birmingham’s Victoria Square.  Visitors will be invited to sample mouth-watering internationally inspired cuisine as well as traditional British options.

Over at Brindleyplace the area will be hotting up with their annual Chilli Festival. A wide range of stalls will offer chilli-related produce and food to eat on the day from across the globe. Expect live cooking and cocktail demonstrations from the restaurants around Brindleyplace, street entertainment and live music as part of the Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival.

Here’s a list of the events and there is further info over at www.birminghamfoodfest.com

 
12 July
Culinary Crossroads Dinner, 7pm
Opus Restaurant, 54 Cornwall Street, Birmingham, B3 2DE
£65 per person all inclusive
Come enjoy a taste of one of Chicago’s rising stars at Opus! Opus’s Culinary Crossroads event is a re-match of chef David Colcombe’s visit to Chicago last month where David joined chef Dirk Flanigan at his Henri and The Gage restaurants on the Magnificent Mile, as part of the Délice ‘Great cities of the World’ programme. Dirk is now visiting Opus to join David for a special 5 course dinner with wines on the eve of the Food Festival.

12 – 19 July
Special festival menu: Sweet Native 1lb whole lobster with fries or a summer salad
Opus Restaurant, 54 Cornwall Street, Birmingham, B3 2DE
£15 inclusive
Delicious summer treat for lunch and dinner at Opus In late summer, fishermen along the east coast of Britain catch lobster chicks – lobsters around 4 to 5 years old weighing 1lb each. They are especially tender and slightly sweet in taste. We are taking advantage of this summer treat, buying them daily from the ice cold waters off Scotland (when weather permits), and east of England when the waters are too hazardous up north.
13 July – 14 July

CBD Food Festival 2012, 11am-7pm
Victoria Square, Birmingham, B3
Free (taster dishes from £1.50 – £5)
The CBD Food Festival is back for a second year with even more participants. The event will showcase the excellent food and drink offering in Birmingham’s business quarter, Colmore Business District (CBD) with stalls from over 20 venues, many of who are independent businesses. Visitors can sample mouth-watering internationally inspired cuisine as well as traditional British options. There will be a programme of live cooking demonstrations from top chefs in CBD, including Glynn Purnell (Purnell’s), David Colcombe (Opus restaurant), Sudha Saha (Saffron), Guneet Singh Bindra (Asha’s Restaurant) and Ganesh Shrestha (Jojolapa). Live music will be provided by the Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival and fantastic outdoor theatre by Birmingham Hippodrome.

13 July – 14 July
Birmingham Chilli Festival, 11am-7pm
Brindleyplace, Brunswick Street, Birmingham, B1
Free
Brindleyplace supported by Broad Street BID will be bringing all things hot and spicy to the city with the second annual Birmingham Chilli Festival. The festival returns as part of Food Fest and is guaranteed to get temperatures rising with a wide range of stalls offering chilli-related produce and food to eat on the day from across the globe. The popular festival will also feature live cooking and cocktail demonstrations from the restaurants around Brindleyplace, street entertainment, tempestuous tango performances, and live music as part of the Festival. The much anticipated chilli eating competition is the festival finale and will see contestants battle it out to be crowned the 2012 Chilli Conqueror and win a hot prize!

13 July – 15 July
Edible Eastside Pop-Up Cafe, 12-5pm
Rear of 122 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5RS
Free
The freshest food in the city can be found at Edible Eastside Café, Birmingham’s first ‘urban garden’, where they serve their own fruit, vegetables and salads grown in their own pop-up garden, which is based by the picturesque canal at Warwick Bar. The café also serves wild food foraged from alongside the canals of Birmingham. Visit the garden and enjoy lunch by the canal.

13 July
Food and Wine matching workshop, 7-9pm
The Old Joint Stock, 4 Temple Row West, Birmingham, B2 5NY
£29
A fascinating introduction to food and wine matching, led by Birmingham Wine School. Learn why certain foods work well with certain wines in this practical hands on evening, tasting a selection of foods to match (or not!) with a selection of wines. Find out what affect acidity, tannin, sweetness in wines have on food. This is an excellent fun, very practical introduction to appreciating the wonderful world of food and wine. Have you heard of Umami? This is a savory taste that is not widely understood, but tonight all will be revealed, really enhancing your appreciation of wine with food.

13 July
Fish & Chip Friday, 12pm – 9.30pm
Chamberlains Quality Fish & Chips, 8 Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, B68 0LH
Join Chamberlains for Fish & chip Friday (available 12noon-9,30pm in the restaurant only). Choose Cod or Haddock with chips, choice of side order, bread & butter and a choice of a pot of tea or cup of coffee.

13 July & 14 July
The Red Lemons, live band from 11pm, restaurant & bars open from 6pm
The Jam House, 3-5 St Pauls Square Birmingham, B3 1QU
£5-£10
A band of superbly accomplished and very individual musicians come together to perform a vast range of soul & funk favourites from the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder to Alicia Keys, Duffy, and Plan B. Support is provided boogie woogie style by our resident piano & drums duo. The Jam House is offering 20.12% of its menu in celebration of Birmingham Food Fest and the Olympic year.

 14 July
Warwick Bar Fete, 12-5pm
Rear of 122 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, B5 5RS
Free
Edible Eastside, Ikon Gallery’s Slow Boat and Grand Union Studios are hosting a day of events, games, art projects and food stalls to celebrate one year of cultural activity and work at Warwick Bar. Food stalls with artisan food producers and Edible Eastside Wild Picnic, serving a  selection of foraged food, are amongst the many food events during the day.

14 July
Edible Eastside Bread-making, 1pm
Rear of 122 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, B5 5RS
Free but pre-booking is required
Ever wanted to eat home baked wood-fired bread hot from the oven? On July 14, as part of Birmingham Food Fest, Edible Eastside is firing up its earth oven and making hot delicious bread for its picnic by the canal. Come along at 1pm and watch the baker at work. Loaves can be purchased following the demonstration.

14 July
Edible Eastside Family Forage Walk, 3pm
Rear of 122 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, B5 5RS
£5 per person or £15 for a family ticket
Edible Eastside’s well-established foraging walk will again be a feature of this year’s Food Fest. This walk will be a family event with children welcome. Search for wild foods alongside Digbeth’s canals and find out what you can eat and the history and folklore attached to our native weeds.

 14 July & 15 July
City of 1000 Tastes Walking Tour by Midlands Discovery Tours
Meet between Council House & Town Hall Victoria Square
Adult ticket £8, child ticket £5
With such a rich cultural mix it is no surprise that Birmingham could be referred to as “The City of 1000 Tastes”. Our 90-minute walk will follow a culinary trail, discovering the origins of great Birmingham brands: Cadbury’s, Typhoo Tea, HP Sauce and Bird’s Custard. We will also find more about Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter, the Balti Triangle, the 3 Michelin Star restaurants in the city and the numerous award winning restaurants and food producers that have made Birmingham their home. As the walk will be taking place during the Birmingham Food Fest, we will visit both the Colmore Food Fest and the Chilli Festival in Brindley Place.

14 July
Eat, Drink and Be Healthy, 4.30pm-6.00pm
The Club & Spa, The Cube, Birmingham, B1
Free
Free healthy food and drink tasters provided by the Lounge at the Club and Spa plus a  healthy eating workshop led by registered nutritionist and director of Healthy Futures, Shaleen Meelu. During the workshop participants will learn how to achieve a balanced diet for overall health and wellbeing.

14-15 July
Let the Games Begin Weekend, 10am-4pm
Cadbury World, Linden Rd, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 2LU
Daily ticket prices
Visit Cadbury World on 14th and 15th July and combine a whole world of chocolatey fun with a variety of games led activities with the chance to win a chocolate gold medal!  Sports activities will include sugar sack races, egg and spoon races and a space-hopper bounce-along.

14-15  July
Special festival menu from VMF Restaurant Food Fest
Aston Villa Football Club, Villa Park, Birmingham, B6 6HE
£14.95 for 2 courses of £19.95 for 3 courses (Friday and Saturday)£19.95 for 3 courses on Sundays

15 July
Children’s Cupcake Decorating Experience, 10.30am-11.30am
Del Villaggio Bullring, Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham B5 4BU
£5 per child
A creative family experience to enjoy cupcake decorating with your children, Del Villaggio will provide all the equipment and ingredients for children to be taught how to top two cupcakes using two different piping techniques. Using lots of sprinkles and sweets to decorate their cupcakes, they can take home their designed cupcakes at the end of the session.

17 July
Introduction to Wine course, 7pm – 9pm
Old Joint Stock, 4 Temple Row West, Birmingham, B2 5NY
£22.50
Want to know more about wine? This evening, led by Birmingham Wine School, will guide you through how to choose better wine, and will start you on your journey of wine discovery. If you know what you like but want to understand why – then this evening is for you. Taste six wines from around the world, and pick up pointers that will enhance your appreciation of wine. You will learn how to taste wine like a professional and look at all the major wine regions in a lighthearted and interesting way.

17 July
Tenner Tuesday, 12.00pm-9.00pm
Chamberlains Quality Fish & Chips
Join Chamberlains Quality Fish & Chips for Tenner Tuesday. Choose  any two main courses from the menu and pay just £10.

17 July
Kevin Figes and the Four Sided Triangle, live music from 8.30pm, doors open 6pm
The Jam House, 3-5 St Pauls Square Birmingham, B3 1QU
Free
Kevin Figes leads this new quartet – Four Sided Triangle – with Mike Outram on guitar, Dan Moore from Phantom Limb on keys and Daisy Palmer from Goldfrapp on drums. The Jam House is offering 20.12% of its menu in celebration of Birmingham Food Fest and the Olympic year.

19 July
Kitchen Food School Discovery Day, 1-4pm
Marketing Birmingham Conference Room, Baskerville House, Centenary Square, Broad Street, B1 2ND
Free, but booking essential
Birmingham’s newest food venture is currently being developed and will be ready to open in 2013. Kitchen is a brand new school of food and cookery –dubbed ‘the place for food lovers’, it will be at the heart of the new food quarter in Harborne which will see the former Clock Tower transformed into a culinary hub by Edg Property and designed by k4 architects. The school is a not-for profit organisation that will have sustainable, ethical and healthy eating at its heart.

19 July
The SUBS, Live music at 9.30, followed by The Subs after 10pm
3-5 St Pauls Square Birmingham, B3 1QU
£5
A great chance to see one of our most popular of weekend bands play not only some of their rock anthem set, but a few of their own material! The Jam House is offering 20.12% of its menu in celebration of Birmingham Food Fest and the Olympic year.

19 July
Mellow Peaches performing and a Peachy Special Offer
mac birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, B12
£10
mac birmingham presents Mellow Peaches, purveyors of rootsy stomps and gutsy grooves. The unassuming Peaches have long immersed themselves into traditional, organic and freshly sourced American blues and roots, mixing it up with their own gumbo of exotic flavours to create a wholesome dish that aids digestion. Feed your soul and your stomach with our peachy special meal deal: a Classic Bellini & Burger for only £10.00.

20 July
Gastro Card Charity Event, from 1pm
Cucina Rustica, 24 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham, B3 1DX
£39.50
Join Cucina Rustica for some fabulous Italian food, raise money for charity and enjoy a lovely afternoon with friends or colleagues. Cucina Rustica is a beautiful Italian restaurant set in the heart of Birmingham offering the very best in Italian cuisine. This is a chance for you to experience an explosion of flavour, whilst relaxing with friends or business colleagues over lunch including accompanying wines for a special price of £39.50.

Urban Coffee Company is promoting the work of up-and-coming creatives across the West Midlands with a series of in-store exhibitions throughout the year.

The current exhibition, which is being held at Urban Coffee Company’s Jewellery Quarter emporium, champions the talent of 20-year-old Stratford-upon-Avon born photographer Ben Cherry, with six exclusive photos on display from his ‘Cairo to Capetown’ collection, specially selected from 45,000 taken on a journey across Africa.

“I’m trying to raise my profile as a photographer so I’m always looking out for opportunities to showcase my work.” Comments Ben. “When I came to Urban Coffee Company I was really taken with the open space and great welcoming vibe. The low-key decor is the perfect canvas for artwork and photography, as it immediately draws your eyes to the pieces on show.”

The exhibition runs throughout May and you can check out www.urbancoffee.co.uk for further details.

This issue includes:

The Voyage
Godiva Awakes
Core
1948 Olympians
Martin Creed
The Specials

and lots more…