Last weekend I spent a glorious 24 hours at Hatherley Manor Hotel and Spa in the Gloucestershire countryside. My lovely mum, Deborah – who enjoys a spa break and glass of plonk almost as much as me – kindly booked the overnight break for us as a belated birthday present. Having just moved house I […]
Recently I joined a group of food bloggers at Bistro du Vin on Church Street to meet the new GM and test run the summer menu. Moving over from Malmaison, the boutique hotel’s new manager is Tom Gallimore. He’s tall and likes to drink wine, so I instantly warmed to him. His invitation to dine […]
Football might not have come home this year (I still love you Gareth) but Birmingham Cocktail Weekend did, bringing with it some excellent drinks and both new and old venues across our glorious city involved. Taking place over the (very sunny weekend of) 13-15th July, 40 bars and restaurants took part, including venues around The […]
It’s no secret that one of my favourite foodie spots in the city is Hotel du Vin on Church Street. Way before starting this food blog I used to spend my time enjoying drinks in the bar, and over the last couple of years I have grown fond of the restaurant. While it’s become somewhere […]
I’m a big fan of some of the Sunday lunch offerings in and around Birmingham city centre. There’s some fairly reasonably priced options within a few of the nicer hotels in the city (step forward Malmaison) and I visited 1565 Restaurant at Park Regis Hotel hoping for something quite special. The 4 star hotel – […]
A few weeks ago The Husband treated me to a Sunday packed full of food and drink. As part of my birthday celebrations, Ian planned a whole day of fun in the city centre; of course this mainly involved eating and booze. We had such a good time that I thought I’d share some of […]
I first tried the afternoon tea available at Malmaison at a social media meet up back in March. I liked it so much I booked a return visit for a friend’s birthday, adding the fizz option to make it a bit more special for her. I’ve talked at length before about how much I enjoy […]
I personally couldn’t have been more elated to see the back of March. The endless snow flurries ruining plans and seemingly everyone being in a trans-seasonal funk, I was more than happy to welcome in April. My first food-based adventure of the month turned out to be Malmaison; a venue I’ve dined in several times, […]
If there’s one thing in life I love, it’s a weekend getaway with great friends and good food. With one of my close girlfriends due to bring a ‘mini me’ into the world come the summer, it seemed only right to whisk her away for an overnight pampering treat. After researching into West Midlands-based rural […]
One for your diaries cocktail fans: Birmingham Cocktail Weekend will take place again on 13-15th July 2018. There’s 26 bars and restaurants taking part (with more to come) including venues around The Cube, Mailbox, Brindleyplace, Bennetts Hill and Colmore Row. With your £10 wristband, on sale here now, every venue will be offering a special […]
There is something genuinely lovely about dining in the candlelit sanctuary of Bistro du Vin. It always manages to feel both comfortingly familiar and a little bit special; a rare find. Whilst I’m a Sunday regular in the bar that’s just a hop, skip and a jump (or occasional drunken stumble) across from Bistro du […]
I don’t generally wear bracelets, but I made an exception for the Birmingham Wine Weekend band. Following from the success of the cocktail weekend, the same folk launched Birmingham Wine Weekend for 2018. For £10 a magical maroon wristband is provided which grants you access to 21 of the finest bars, hotels and restaurant in […]
I recently treated my lovely mum to a spa day with afternoon tea at St John’s Hotel Solihull for her birthday. Spending quality time with her is something I wish I could do more often, but with her being a hardworking nurse with a demanding shift pattern that’s not always possible. Knowing her love for […]
It’s the weekend again and time to let your hair down/drink away your woes. Nothing says ‘living the adulting dream’ quite like taking yourself off to get mildly (totally) hammered with friends on a Saturday or Sunday, and thankfully there’s a host of places across Birmingham city centre now offering bottomless brunch. Unsurprisingly I’ve been […]
