GATECRASHER CROWNED BEST BAR NONE NATIONAL WINNER

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Caroline

NIGHTCLUB PRAISED FOR ‘COMMITMENT TO HEALTH & SAFETY’ AT HOUSE OF LORDS RECEPTION

Gatecrasher Birmingham was crowned Best Bar None’s national winner at a Parliamentary reception in the House of Lords last week. The award was presented to Gatecrasher’s General Manager Neil Jennings by Lord Henley, Home Office Minister of State and was witnessed and celebrated by a packed audience from all areas of the licensed retailing industry.

The Best Bar None scheme is a recognised scheme, supported by the Home Office, aimed at promoting responsible management and operation of alcohol-licensed premises. The scheme encourages social responsibility among licensees by rewarding good management.

Best Bar None chairman Lord Redesdale said that Gatecrasher had gone “way beyond the call of duty” by working with the local fire service to prepare them in case of a large scale incident at the nightclub.

Lord Redesdale said “What completely nailed this application for me was the press release to the media that they were doing a major search and rescue with the fire department. That shows incredible bravery and also shows a commitment to health and safety which goes way beyond the call of duty almost, because people have to realise that these are venues that you have actually got to train the fire service to understand.

“To actually go forward as a club and say ‘There could be this great disaster in our club’ takes a great deal of panache and to actually go out and say ‘We are doing this to make sure this is the safest area’, I thought that was particularly good and it just shows the commitment to the highest level of safety and staff training.”

Neil Jennings commented “I’m delighted that Gatecrasher has won the prestigious National Best Bar None Award, to win the regional award was a fantastic achievement and this surpasses even that, it is a recognition of the highest order and I would to thank the team at Gatecrasher for their continued hard work and commitment to ensuring that Gatecrasher provides a great safe night out and continues to be the Best Bar None”.

Simon Raine, MD of Gatecrasher added “Gatecrasher has always strived to provide the safest night out for our clubbers. It has always been our number one priority. So to be recognised on a national level for best practise is a great achievement and makes us strive to achieve even more. Safety and security is the basis of a great night out and we continue to work in partnership with the local authorities to achieve this”.

The award follows Gatecrasher Birmingham’s win at the regional Best Bar None awards in 2010 where they shone for operating at a high level beating over 100 venues for the top award.

Jacqui Kennedy, Director of Birmingham City Council’s Regulatory Services said “We are thrilled that a Birmingham nightclub has won this prestigious national award. Best Bar None Birmingham was set up to showcase the best which Birmingham can offer, to both its residents and visitors to the city. Gatecrasher’s commitment to safety and security is phenomenal. The commitment to, and evidence of, the venue working in partnership and maintaining good relationships with the authorities and neighbours is highly commendable helping us, the police, and everyone who cares about the city to drive standards even higher. ”

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Birmingham Sea Life Centre holds Sea Life Shark Week

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Caroline

22nd to 30th October this year will see Birmingham Sea Life centre hosting special Shark Weeks in an urgent bid for shark conservation.

Proudly supporting the Shark Alliance’s ‘European Shark Week’ and the Shark Trust, Birmingham Sea Life centre will present a range of exciting, interactive family activities to raise awareness about the plight of sharks.

Activities will include: Shark talks, Shark activities a quiz trail and a Shark Smell Stall – where visitors can see if their sense of smell is as good as that of a shark!

With alarming research showing there are fewer Great White sharks left in our seas than there are tigers on the earth, whilst tens of millions of sharks are cruelly killed every year for their fins, Sea Life centres will also be calling on visitors to sign a petition put forward by the Shark Alliance to tighten laws on shark finning.

Sea Life General Manager Amy Langham explains “Many nations have declared bans on shark finning but it’s a sad reality that glaring loop holes allow fishermen to harvest shark fins in vast, unsustainable numbers which, unless stopped, will end in the extinction of many species.”

During Shark Weeks, Sea Life centres around the globe from California to Helsinki will aim to collect over 100,000 signatures in support of protecting sharks from lax finning laws.  

After close of European Shark Weeks on 30th October, the petitions will be used to lobby EU fisheries ministers to tighten laws on shark finning and ban the removal of shark fins at sea.  

For further information, activities, tickets and times please visit www.sealife.co.uk or call your local centre for further information.

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Christmas Parties at National SeaLife Centre

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Caroline

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Are you Birmingham’s worst cook?

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Caroline

Last week the Broad Street Business Improvement District, in conjunction with Birmingham Food Fest, the city’s new ten day gastronomic celebration in association with London Midland, launched its search to find and educate Birmingham’s worst cook.  

If you know a disastrous cook, nominate him, her or yourself for rigorous kitchen training from seven of the top chefs from venues along Broad Street and Brindleyplace during the inaugural year of Birmingham Food Fest, taking place from 14 – 23 October.

Our winner will learn the skills behind a whole host of dishes and tastes from the traditional balti, to Italian classics and fine dining; learning from Birmingham’s best.

Critically acclaimed chef, Andy Waters from Edmunds, Brindleyplace is one of the chefs waiting to pass on his knowledge and skills to our lucky winner.

Andy’s passion for food first started from being around his mother, a confectioner.  At a young age he began training at Halesowen Food College, quickly progressing to many highly respected restaurants, working through all departments in order to gain complete knowledge of the kitchen.

In 2002 and working as Head Chef at the Bay Tree Restaurant in Harborne, Andy decided it was time to venture out on his own.  Edmunds Restaurant first opened in the Warwickshire town of Henley in Arden and his approach to cooking soon attracted national interest, resulting in the awarding of a coveted Michelin star within 6 months of opening and being named as Hardens’ restaurant of the year, an award sponsored by Remy Martin.

Edmunds relocated to Brindleyplace in 2008 and since the move has been highly praised, consistently receiving five star reviews from both food critics and diners.  In 2010 Edmunds was voted a Sunday Times top 100 UK restaurant, described in the paper as “a modern and relaxed venture winning an ever-higher profile, thanks to its top-quality cuisine.”  The Good Food Guide has recently named Edmunds ‘the best restaurant in the Midlands’ for 2012.

Andy’s career path is nothing if not impressive, and this is fantastic chance to learn from the man himself!

Mike Olley, Broad Street BID Manager, commented: “The opportunity to develop someone’s skills that may be a tad lacking is not so much a challenge, but more of an obligation. So I am delighted that we may be able to bring about a little more marital harmony or at the very worst bring culinary improvements to someone.”

To enter our competition simply email the name of the person you’re nominating and the reasons why to caroline.ashton@broadst.co.uk.

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Pushkar celebrate the Birmingham Food Fest with a new Dhaba menu

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Caroline

Pushkar will be celebrating the Birmingham Food Fest this year with a truly authentic and exciting “Dhaba” menu. The Festival kicks off on the 14th October with Pushkar launching its new menu on the same day. The menu will only be available throughout the duration of the Birmingham Food Fest, which ends 23rd October.

As the idea behind Food Fest is to celebrate the diversity of the city’s food scene, Pushkar have gone back to their roots and are offering diners a rare opportunity to taste original and untouched “Dhaba” recipes, straight from the roadsides of India . 

“Dhaba” is the term for basic eateries typically found on the highways and outskirts of the cities, towns & villages in India. These authentic, roadside huts were initially started by enterprising Punjabis, so they could cater for the needs of the huge volume of truckers and long distance travellers in the region. Dhabas were open 24hours a day, 7days a week – Now however; the simple, unpretentious and wholesome food is served and enjoyed by families, city workers and professionals all across India.

Dhabas were characterised by shack like buildings, surrounded by cots to sit upon (called ‘chaarpai’ in Hindi) while eating. A thick wooden plank would be placed across the width of the cot on which to place the dishes. The Dhaba style food is simple, fresh, authentically rustic, full of flavours and wholesome with a homemade feel to it and traditionally accompanied with Malt Whisky.

Most Indian food lovers will be familiar with some of the dishes on the menu, which includes:

Tandoori Chicken  
“King of kebabs” – The best and tastiest known Indian barbeque chicken. Spring chicken on the bone, marinated in a mixture of yogurt, malt vinegar and spices, cooked in a tandoor, served sprinkled with kebab masala.

Lamb Keem Kaleji 
Semi dry preparation of lamb mince and lamb liver with chilli, ginger, tomato, onions and fresh coriander.

Sarson-Da-Saag (V)
Punjabi speciality of mustard greens. Goes well with makki di roti.

The name maybe familiar but the style of cooking, recipes, ingredients and the taste will be a whole new experience. 

Pushkar Cocktail Bar & Dining is located on Broad Street, Birmingham. For more information: www.pushkardining.com  tel: 0121 643 7978

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A hot date for your diary! The first ever Birmingham Chilli Festival at Brindleyplace

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Caroline

Brindleyplace, supported by the Broad Street BID, will be turning up the heat this October by hosting the first ever Chilli Festival to be held in Birmingham.

As part of the new Birmingham Food Fest, on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd October, Brindleyplace will be turned into a hotbed of activity with the help of market operator, Sketts. There will be a wide range of stalls offering both chilli-related produce such as jam, chutneys, breads, oils and chocolate as well as food to eat on the day from across the globe.

The fiery festival will also feature live cookery demonstrations with a chilli theme from a number of chefs around Brindleyplace including Bank Restaurant, Thai Edge and Edmunds and a “Ready, Steady, Shake!” cocktail demonstration from the popular bar, Nuvo.

For those with a real hunger for heat there will be a chilli eating competition with 12 chillis of increasing strength to work through. There will also be plenty of entertainment for all ages and palates with live music, dancing, a bouncy castle, face painting, street entertainment and event hosting courtesy of radio station brmb.

Ailsa Raine, Marketing Executive at Brindleyplace said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the first Birmingham Chilli Festival. Thanks to the enthusiasm and welcoming nature of people that visit our Local Produce Markets, Brindleyplace has a good reputation with producers and has attracted chill specialists from further afield.”

“There are so many countries which have spicy specialities; the festival will be a showcase for a diverse range of cuisines from Caribbean to Spanish and Thai to Italian complimented by live music, dancing and entertainment that everyone can enjoy.”

Russell Dean of market operator Sketts said: “A number of major cities and counties across the country hold chilli festivals which are incredibly popular with both locals and those travelling from further afield. Until now there has been a gap in the Midlands and the cosmopolitan nature of Birmingham’s food scene seemed to be the perfect fit. We anticipate that the Birmingham Chilli Festival in Brindleyplace will become a major date on our annual calendar of events.”

Emma Gray, Director of Marketing Services at Visit Birmingham, the team behind Birmingham Food Fest, said:

“Birmingham has a growing reputation as a hotbed of culinary creativity. From our diverse range of cuisines to Michelin stars, the city is a foodie lovers’ haven and Birmingham Food Fest this October provides an opportunity to celebrate and sample all it has to offer.

“With over 100 fringe events taking place throughout Food Fest, Brindleyplace’s Chilli Festival is yet another great opportunity for visitors to Birmingham to get hands on by sampling fresh produce, as well as eating out at some of the city’s best restaurants.”

The Birmingham Chilli Festival is part of the new 10 day gastronomic celebration of food and drink throughout the city from 14th – 23rd October. Birmingham Food Fest is set to showcase the revolutionary talent of the city’s culinary scene with over 80 restaurants producing irresistible festival menus at discounted prices and a mouth-watering programme of food and drink themed events taking place throughout the city.

For more information about the Birmingham Chilli Festival visit the Brindleyplace website (www.brindleyplace.com) or to download Food Fest vouchers and receive your restaurant discounts visit Birmingham Food Fest’s brand new interactive website www.birminghamfoodfest.com.

If you would like to sell your own produce at the Birmingham Chilli Festival, please contact Russell Dean of market operator Sketts by email to russell@sketts.co.uk.

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Piccolino Venetian Masquerade Ball

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Caroline

Piccolino on Brindleyplace are hosting a Venetian Masquerade Ball this Thursday, 29th September.

For further details click Piccolino Venetian Masquerade Ball

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Are you Birmingham’s worst cook?

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Caroline

Do you consider cooking to simply involve microwaving a readymade meal? Are you married to, live with, or know someone who’s clueless about cooking? Well now is your opportunity to correct all of that!

The Broad Street Business Improvement District, in conjunction with Birmingham Food Fest, the city’s new ten day gastronomic celebration in association with London Midland, has launched a search to find and educate Birmingham’s worst cook.  

If you know a disastrous cook, nominate him, her or yourself for rigorous kitchen training from seven of the top chefs from venues along Broad Street and Brindleyplace during the inaugural year of Birmingham Food Fest, taking place from 14 – 23 October.

Our winner will learn the skills behind a whole host of dishes and tastes from the traditional balti, to Italian classics and fine dining; learning from Birmingham’s best. This is a prize like no other that will leave them with the knowledge and skills to wow their friends and family as a confident, creative home cook!

Following the public nomination we’ll search to find one winner that will receive seven unique cookery lessons and a shopping spree for new kitchen equipment worth £250 from Red Robs Catering Supplies in Birmingham city centre.

Chefs taking Birmingham’s worst cook under their wing include Bishal Rasaily of Pushkar, who said: “This city has a wealth of fantastic culinary expertise. I learnt the traditional cooking methods from my mother and it’s this and my experience in a range of 5 star venues that go into making the Pushkar menu so individual and popular. I’m looking forward to passing my skills and knowledge on.”

Other restaurants taking part include Cielo, Edmunds, Bank Bar and Restaurant and the Hyatt Regency.

Kevin Roberts of Red Rob Catering Supplies, who are sponsoring the competition said “a big part of our business is to know the latest trends and ideas in cooking equipment so we can offer advice and help enhance culinary skills. To be involved with this initiative will be great fun and we look forward to meeting the lucky winner.”

Birmingham Food Fest will help those looking to brush up their cooking know-how with a series of foodie themed events and demonstrations as part of a 10 day festival taking over the city from 14th – 23th October. The festival is set to showcase the revolutionary talent of the city’s culinary scene with over 100 restaurants producing irresistible festival menus at discount prices.

To enter, send a letter/email of no more than 500 words explaining the reasons for your nomination. Please include your name, the name of the person you are nominating and full contact details. Send your nominations to Caroline Ashton, Broad Street BID, Quayside Tower, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2HF or via email to caroline.ashton@broadst.co.uk.

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Library of Birmingham celebrates Topping Out

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Caroline

Today, 14 September 2011, Councillor Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, laid the last piece of concrete on the highest point of the new Library of Birmingham at the official Topping Out ceremony. This is a significant marker in the construction of the new £188.8 million building, due to open in 2013. 

Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “I am thrilled to be celebrating the Topping Out of the Library of Birmingham, a major milestone in the construction of a very significant new building for Birmingham. For the people working on the site, and with the project, today is a day of celebration and reflection on the formidable progress we have made. Whilst for the people of Birmingham today is about showing everyone the scale of our ambition – and hopefully giving them a flavour of just how incredible our new Library will be.

“Through the new Library of Birmingham not only are we re-defining the role of the Library in the 21st century, we are proving that Arts and Culture can be a powerful catalyst for economic regeneration as well. The fact the project is already employing 800 people, and should hopefully lever in the associated developments to employ thousands more, is a formidable success story for the city.”

Mike Whitby was helped by Buta Singh Mahal, 34, from Smethwick, who has worked on the site since building work began in February 2010, when he first mixed the concrete for the foundations to be laid. He also mixed the concrete used for the Topping Out today.

The Topping Out took place on the roof of the rotunda on the summit of the building, which will eventually house the Shakespeare Memorial Room, originally a feature in the Victorian Library and currently in Birmingham Central Library. Giles Taylor, a member of the Company of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, began the ceremony by reading two Shakespeare quotes suggested by members of the public in a competition on Twitter. The Shakespeare Memorial Room will be located alongside a viewing gallery giving panoramic views across the city.

The Topping Out was also celebrated with construction partner Carillion and marked by the first performances in the Library’s outdoor amphitheatre in Centenary Square, with an appearance by Black Voices, led by Carol Pemberton, a Face of the new Library of Birmingham, and by members of the company from the REP, who performed extracts from Shakespeare and from their current production, Tom Stoppard’s ‘Travesties’.

Designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo, the Library of Birmingham will comprise 10 levels, with nine above ground and a lower ground floor. It is being constructed using 21,000m3 of concrete in the frame, enough to fill more than eight Olympic sized swimming pools. The frame is reinforced by 3,000 tonnes of steel, the equivalent weight of around 35,750 average UK men. Thirty thousand metres cubed of material, enough to fill 60,000 bath tubs, had to be dug out of the basement. There is a core workforce of 800 people building the Library and in total it is expected that 1.6 million person hours will be expended on the project.

In July the Library of Birmingham celebrated the 100th person supported into work on the project by the Birmingham City Council’s Employment Access Team. Birmingham City Council set clear employment and training targets for the project, aiming to recruit 250 local unemployed people for work and apprenticeships. So far, 71 people have secured jobs as labourers and qualified tradesmen such as carpenters, steelfixers, scaffolders and plantsmen.

Other opportunities have included site administration, trainee mechanical and electrical engineer and trainee ductwork erector. Thirty-nine apprentices have also been recruited and the Employment Access Team are supporting 10 more young people into Carillion’s November 2011 Apprenticeship intake. Carillion are working with Business Action on the Homeless offering work experience opportunities, which can then lead on to full time employment via the Employment Access Team – the 100th person came through this process and secured a labouring job with Titan Ceilings.

The building will feature a spacious entrance and foyer with mezzanine, the gateway to both the Library and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, to which the new Library will be physically connected. There will also be a new flexible studio theatre, a lower ground level with indoor terraces, four further public levels and two outdoor elevated garden terraces.

A ‘golden box’ of secure archive storage will occupy two levels of the building, within which the city’s internationally significant collection of archives, photography and rare books will be stored. A new state-of-the-art exhibition space will open up public access to the collections for the first time. The exterior of the building, from the first to the eighth floor will be wrapped with an intricate metal façade, echoing the gasometers, tunnels, canals and viaducts which fuelled Birmingham’s industrial growth.

For more information about the Library go to www.libraryofbirmingham.com

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Liberal Democrat Party Conference – 15th to 22nd September

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Caroline

The Liberal Democrat Party Conference will be held at the ICC in Birmingham from 17th to 21st September with an estimated 8,000 delegates, along with large numbers of media and exhibitors, expected to attend.

The Broad Street BID has been working closely with key city agencies including Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police and Marketing Birmingham to ensure there is as little disruption as possible to local businesses during this major event for the city.

However, there are some temporary access restrictions which you need to be aware of.

The mall through the ICC will be closed to the public throughout the conference. The area around the building, including Centenary Square, the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the section of Broad Street closest to Paradise Forum will see some changes to access for traffic.

The linked map indicates the vehicle exclusion and restricted access areas during the conference. More information about traffic restrictions before and during the conference is detailed below.

Before the Conference the following vehicle restrictions will apply. During these times access will not be permitted to any vehicle:

8pm Thursday 15th September 2011 to 5am Friday 16th September 2011:

No vehicle access to Broad Street between Gas Street and Paradise Circus. Vehicle access to Broad Street between Gas Street and Sheepcote Street will be via Holliday Street and Berkley Street only.

5am Friday 16th September 2011 to 7am Saturday 17th September 2011:

Broad Street open to all traffic but some localised road width restrictions.

8pm Friday 16th September 2011 to 7am Saturday 17th September 2011:

No vehicle access to Cambridge Street between Brindley Drive to Civic Close and Bridge Street near to the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

During the Conference – 7am Saturday 17th September 2011 to 5am Thursday 22nd September 2011:

Broad Street (Gas Street to Paradise Circus), Bridge Street (near to the Hyatt Regency Hotel) and Cambridge Street (Brindley Drive to Civic Close) will be pedestrian access only.

Broad Street will not be available as a through route for vehicles during the conference, motorists are therefore advised to use the following alternative routes:

  • Into city direction from Hagley Road, via Monument Road, Alston Street, Ring Road, Spring Hill Circus, Summer Hill Road, Sand Pits, Parade, Summer Row to Paradise Circus.
  • Into city direction from Five Ways, via Islington Row, Bath Row, Holloway Head, Holloway Circus Queensway, Suffolk Street Queensway to Paradise Circus
  • Out of city direction from Paradise Circus via Summer Row, Parade, Sand Pits, Summer Hill Road Ring Road to Five Ways

All temporary traffic restrictions will be removed from 5am on Thursday 22nd September 2011.

Car Parks – The Brindley Drive, Brindleyplace and National Indoor Arena car parks are not affected.

On Street Pay and Display – In Bridge Street, on street pay and display parking will be suspended during the conference.

Taxis – The taxi ranks outside the Reflex bar in Broad Street and in Bridge Street, next to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, will be suspended during the conference.

Temporary taxi ranks will be provided in Broad Street (Oozells Street to Gas Street).

Buses – Throughout the conference, bus stops on the section of Broad Street between Five Ways and Sheepcote Street (in both directions), will continue to be in use. Bus stops in Broad Street between Sheepcote Street and Paradise Circus will not be in use.

Restaurants, bars, attractions, theatres, cinemas – All of the bars and restaurants along Broad Street and in Brindleyplace will be open as usual. The Hyatt Regency Hotel remains open. The National Sealife Centre, Crescent Theatre, Ikon and Number Nine Galleries in Brindleyplace are unaffected by the conference.

The ICC will be closed to the general public from Thursday 15th September, reopening Thursday 22nd September at 7am. The public will not be able to access Symphony Hall, Symphony Hall Box Office, Cafe Vite or Castle Galleries during this time. A temporary Box Office station will be located in the main marquee on Centenary Square offering the opportunity to book and collect tickets.

Cineworld cinema on Broad Street is not affected by the conference.

Businesses and Offices – The Brasshouse Language Centre, the Transport and General Workers Union and all other shops, outlets, offices and businesses along Broad Street are unaffected by the conference.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact the BID office on 0121 439 1923 or Mike Olley, Broad Street BID Manager, on 07834 323 100.

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