Tag: Birmingham

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lifestyle

SELF-ISOLATING: THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY

2020 has well and truly shat all over our lives with the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s turning out that many of us will have to switch off the light and close the door to society outside our four walls. Whether its two weeks, a month or three months of isolation, how the hell are we going to survive without Saturday’s nights in Be at One [insert troll face]

From concerns of isolation resulting in feeling lonely and depressed, this is the time we must come together to help one and other, two words that have summed up 2020 so far, Be Kind. So far, the community of Birmingham coming together to support hospitality business’s in the City has been a beautiful sight to see, from donations to media coverage it really does prove that the community will come together to pick up those who are suffering to help them back up onto their feet again. Even to those who are isolating, restaurants are now offerings deliveries, neighbours offering to go food shopping and strangers just checking in. It’s going to be tough, but it’s important to keep busy, isolating doesn’t mean you can’t speak to anyone and it doesn’t mean you have to completely shut out the whole world. There are many things you can do, things that will get you excited and motivated for the future. There maybe things that you haven’t had the time for and now you can finally do, so here are 10 things that I came up with that you can do whilst isolating.

SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19

For now, many businesses have closed their doors but still offering the option of online shopping, takeaways and deliveries. You can always support these businesses behind your computer screen by sharing content via social media, purchasing gift vouchers and personal donations. If you don’t want to see our independent’s disappearing from our streets then do visit them, buy something or purchase a gift card and use social media to promote them. It’s not just the independents who are suffering, it’s the elderly as well who many live alone, have no ways of transport and are vulnerable. I have seen on social media that many neighbours and even strangers are contacting their elderly neighbours to check in with them and see if they need any supplies then delivering them to their doors. A beautiful gesture that goes a long way to some as your face may be the first face, they have seen in a couple of days even sadly weeks.

YOU NOW HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE EIGHT SEASONS OF GAME OF THRONES

“It’s too long, I don’t have time for it”
YOU KNOW NOTHING, BAB. now it’s your chance to crack out those bloody long boxsets and watch them with your loved ones. It’s like Christmas but without the presents, 100 buffets and Mariah Carey…it’s like going back to the Jesus days oh wait, he did put on a fantastic buffet spread before he…Let’s just go the next paragraph, shall we!?

START AGAIN

All those new year resolutions that you swore to yourself you would do in the year 2020 (lose some weight and become a Victoria Secret model) but still haven’t done as your still warming up for the year well we could just scrap that as we have already failed and start again, right?
Who knows what this year will have install for us…well at the moment no toilet rolls.

THE BIG CLEAR OUT

Clear and breath Honey! let’s dive into that wardrobe and finally get rid of that booty call outfit that you had plans for about 10 years ago. The thing is you don’t have to just get rid, you can make a bit of profit from your clear out. Of course, Car boots are a great way of making a bit of money but due to the virus, these are to be avoided. What you can do, is sell online on websites such as Vinted, Depop and eBay. I use vinted a lot to get rid of clothes and accessories I don’t need anymore and I make a nice little profit. If the money doesn’t matter, you could always advertise on social media and give to those who could make use of it.

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

As mentioned above, you can make a nice little bit of income at home. Something I have actually thought about is dog sitting I mean, I do love them more than people so me and dogs watching Housewives of Atlanta would be the perfect isolation plan.

EXERCISE, CLEANSE…NO EXCUSES

You don’t have to go to the gym to feel good. Last year I did a yeast detox, I didn’t go to the gym, I went for a jog every day and cut down on rubbish. My skin was clear, I lost a stone within two weeks and I felt pretty sexy. I was starting to show a bit of skin but not too much Jesus, this isn’t a meat market! Just an arm or a leg. It gave me confidence however, I sadly fell back into my bad ways so at the moment I feel like an orangutan. Now, I have no excuse’s so I’ll be squatting and doing laps in the garden for The Victoria Secret show…[Insert Troll face]

TRY SOMETHING NEW: GET CRAFTY, GET BAKEY, AND GET SNAPPY?…

No, none of that makes sense I was just trying to be all arty-farty with my words but now is the time to try something new! Hobbies are never-ending from baking to adding to your cotton wool collection…okay, I made it up but if extreme ironing is a hobby then I’m sure as hell collecting cotton wool can be too. It keeps you busy, it gets you excited and who knows, you might be able to make a career out of it.

COMMUNICATE EVERYDAY

Isolating yourself doesn’t mean closing the door to your room and cutting off all communication. You should be talking to your friends and your family every day! Get on skype with your friends you could play a quiz, watch a film together or you could just catch up. It’s important to talk and check in with one and other as isolation can harm us all. We may feel lonely, sad and not communicating can cause boredom leading to focusing on the negativity in our lives. Check-in with everyone, If you live alone you might want to jump on social media, Bumble for friends and various chatroom apps. Remember it is important to talk if you are feeling the effects of isolation, don’t feel embarrassed as we are all going through this togeather and we are here to support one and other.

MISS LIFE? DOWNLOAD AND PLAY THE SIMS

Missing the drama in your life? well, you can always just recreate it on the Sims and get carried away for about a year. You could create an episode of Coronation Street which is actually thrilling in the game of Sims, you could build your whole life on there if you wanted to however It’s a bit weird when you’re talking to friends or family that you know that you have killed them a thousand times on the Sims and they don’t even know.

So there you have it, but I would love to know what you have done so far in Isolation? Leave me a comment below and remember, to stay safe Babs!

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham Food review

AFTERNOON TEA AT HOTEL DU VIN BIRMINGHAM

For a while now I have wanted to visit Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Birmingham and see what all the fuss was about as it’s a hotel and bistro that is often praised by many in and out of Birmingham. As a lover of food and of course, afternoon tea, I thought now was the time to book myself in to experience and trial Hotel du Vin’s exceptional reputation in Birmingham.

The Hotel & Bistro is located on Church Street, a great location for travellers who are staying over at the hotel as you have Grand Central station that is just under a 10-minute walk away, you are surrounded by restaurants and bars, and if you had forgottten any essentials ( I always forget pants which is ridiculous but my brain chooses 2 x biscuits in case I feel sick in the night instead of pants, absolute LOLS) you are also surrounded by retail shops, so the location is perfect. Upon entering the Hotel, it does have a fabulous entry that leads to the courtyard where you can dine in, but our afternoon tea took place in the Bistro restaurant which is just darling! It’s elegant and it just oozes Le Paris!

We were shown to our table and then handed menus to choose which tea we would like to have, I opted for the English breakfast and my friend opted for Earl Grey. They had a pretty impressive variety of drinks on offer that you can have with your afternoon tea, from hot drinks to fancy champagne and Hendricks cocktails. I did nearly choose the “Dozy Girl” tea with lavender and rose petals but we were on a tight schedule as we chose to go in our lunch hour, so we wanted to avoid falling asleep on the keyboard and getting the sack! The tea was served first and it came within 5 minutes, sharp service, I like it!

One of the staff members asked us if we had any allergies and then confirmed we was having vegan (for my friend) and non vegan (for me) afternoon tea. Shortly after, the afternoon tea followed glistering with a range of savouries and sweets and wait, do I spy POPCORN? (I shall not quote Stephen Kings IT…POP POP POP…damn it) Vegan afternoon tea on the top and the non-vegan on the bottom. My eyes lit up and I couldn’t help but sigh with relief when I spotted the sweets because bread is Jesus and the number of afternoon teas I have had and they just plonk a load of cakes on it and have 3 tiny sandwiches?! This certainly wasn’t the case with Hotel du Vin, let’s start with mine first.

With the non-vegan afternoon tea you get a pretty good selection of finger sandwiches with a variety of fillings.

Cheese and pickle

Coronation chicken

Cucumber and mint

Smoked salmon and cream cheese

Egg and cress

A selection that I was pretty satisfied with. The bread was fresh, the fillings were full of flavour and I enjoyed the variety. Next up was the deserts which to me, are perfectly sized and again, great variety.

Carrot Cake

Paris-Brest

Tutti Frutti macaroon

Black Forest gateau

Rum Baba

Now, the rum baba I never tried because my mother is the Queen of rum baba’s. She is completely obsessed with them, so obsessed that she would try and blackmail my dad in going down to Waitrose and buying her 10 packets of the stuff, “well, I am not making you dinner” whipped by a rum baba, the shame. She did comment on it saying it was delicious but of course, she would have liked a larger portion. Now, the other desserts were absolutely delicious, the Paris-Brest was my favourite and it just complimented my cup of tea so nicely. The black forest was just pleasurable that’s all I am going to say, and the carrot cake took me by surprise but they all did, because there not the sort of desserts I would go for but it sure did tickle my sweet tooth and left me pretty satisfied.

Vegan afternoon tea was quite impressive, again, a very generous and good variety of vegan treats for my friend to tuck into…

Cheese & onion tart

Tempura cauliflower

Vegan scone with peppers

Salted popcorn

and more vegan savoury tarts 

The deserts

Pistachio cake

Chocolate truffle cake

Victoria sponge

Danish pastry

As a vegan, my friend noted that it is often quite difficult to find a vegan afternoon tea and she was pretty impressed with the selection and variety on offer at Hotel du Vin. Thumb ups on the vegan front. I am a non-vegan and I have to say it did look very appetising and I liked the quirky touch of popcorn…Nope, I am not quoting “IT” again. We also received scones which had me pondering for 5 minutes if they even were scones, they had a glaze on top almost like a donut would have and the texture was also different to a regular scone “I’m not like a regular scone, I am a cool scone” Yes I just quoted Meal Girls but anyway, I’m a fan of the scones! Different but delicious.

The Bistro is absolutely stunning, decorated with wall art and empty wine bottles empowering that rustic feel with a touch of quirk. I would like to mention that the staff at Hotel du Vin are professional and very informative, they check in with you now and again to make sure you are enjoying your experience to the fullest.

When it comes to Afternoon Tea, Hotel du Vin have got it spot on. The décor, the ambience and the food is stunning here and its priced at £22.50?! in which, I believe is an absolute steal for sensational service and food. In a way, it doesn’t feel like you are dining out in Birmingham more like a French Bistro in an upper-class town in France back in the 1940s. The Afternoon Tea has fought its way into my top 5 Afternoon Teas in Birmingham, for sure! Hotel du Vin is a delightful treat for anyone, If you are a lover of Afternoon Tea then you must, I repeat MUST take a trip to Hotel du Vin & Bistro in Birmingham where you will receive luscious food served to the highest standard surrounded by French charm, it’s a stunning experience for all to enjoy.

Fancy it? you can book your Afternoon tea here

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham Food review

SPANISH TASTER LUNCH MENU AT AC HOTEL BIRMINGHAM

I was invited by Hit Birmingham to a Bloggers lunch to try out AC Hotel’s new Spanish taster lunch which they hope to go live with very soon. From spicy prawn spaghetti to Spanish omelettes with a spoonful of aioli, this sure was a Fantastica feast!

The AC hotel is located in the Mailbox on the ground floor and is neighbours to Zizzi Italian. The hotel offers a variety of spacious rooms with modern furnishings featuring everything you need for a comfortable night’s stay in a prime location for restaurants and bars. AC hotel also has a Starbucks for your early morning coffee runs and a restaurant where you can sit down for a buffet breakfast in the morning or indulge in a luxurious afternoon tea. At the moment AC Hotel only provide breakfast and afternoon tea options, considering the location, they are completely surrounded by some of the big boys in the lunchtime competition, therefore, they want to start offering light bites to workers on lunch breaks, commuters and of course, hotel guests.

I have been many times to this hotel to stay over and have eaten the breakfast, of course, I was over the moon receiving an invitation to try out their new Spanish inspired lunch menu. On arrival, I met with the other bloggers and we all sat down in the restaurant area which was very cosy on quite a big table that is great for large groups of people, plenty of room for food and snaps! We were all anticipating what was to come out of the kitchen however alcohol first! A selection of white and red wine sangria’s to taste which were very refreshing and full of ZING BABY! I could taste the red wine in it which is perfect for me, as I am red wines best friend so we get along just fabulously.

Next up was what we were all waiting for…the Spanish buffet. The Head Chef came out and talked us through the plates that they are looking to put on the menu and my, what a selection it is. A variety of wonderful dishes on offer made with fresh ingredients and comnpletly from scratch…this is no microwave job Bab. Below are the dishes that are on offer:

Garlic spicy prawn spaghetti

Spanish omelette with garlic Aioli

Spanish Mediterranean toast- serrano ham, tomato and manchego cheese

Spanish ratatouille with quails eggs

Chickpea hummus and chilli oil

Chicken meatballs in tomato sauce and garlic bread

Crème Brulee

Churros with chocolate

My favourite dishes had to be the chicken meatballs which just oozed with flavour and almost came across as that one snack you find out a Buffett party that you just gorge on all night until the host tells you its time to go. The omelette seemed to be a hit with everyone, it was just a shame that it was a small portion as I could have eaten about 10 of them!  One dish that took me by surprise was the ratatouille with the quail’s egg which was absolutely delicious, cooked well and the yolk complemented the ratatouille which I was not expecting at all! The crème Brulee was so sensational that it made me question…did I die and go to heaven? It’s light, creamy, and definitely a winner! The churros I found were a little bit on the hard side but I am not too sure if this was because they were left on the table for too long but I am also not a big fan of them so I was not fussed.

Overall some fantastic Spanish inspired dishes that a lot of guests will feel spoilt for choice within a lovely hotel which deliver high-class service to its guests. The restaurant is very cosy, with a classy and sleek interior throughout including the service. The staff are very polite, hard-working and have an eye for an empty glass (no glass shall be left empty Senorita!) I would recommend you all to try out this fiesta of Spanish inspired dishes and drinks when it launches! In the meantime, why not treat yourself to a stay in the hotel? for just under £100 for a whale of a room which is SPOTLESS, with gorgeous canal views and a more than comfortable nights sleep. Everything you want for a short stay in Birmingham or as its soo nice a long stay…Just saying, I would happily opt for the suite life in AC Hotel.

A big thank you to Hit Birmingham the AC hotel for inviting me, please note this was a gifted experience.

If you are interested at staying/dining at The Ac Hotel- please check out the website here

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

WHY BEING A WOMAN IS AWESOME

Happy International Women’s Day!
I thought, why not celebrate my vagina and write up a little blog post on why it’s bloody awesome to be a woman. From connecting to soppy romantic films such as Love Actually (Fuck you Harry for hurting Karen and bringing Joni Mitchell into it!) to our “get out of jail cards” we use quite often in the bedroom department. You’ll be screaming I’m every woman by the end of this post or you might stick The Notebook on, tie hair up, put on your baggy pants and tuck into a packet of McVities milk chocolate biscuits.

WE CAN REALLY CONNECT WITH THE MOVIES

Have you ever watched a film with your partner and it gets to an emotional scene, you are sitting there filling up and your partner is just sitting there no facial expression and probably doesn’t know what day it is either? Women own their feelings more than man, it’s a fact. It kills us seeing Rose let go of Jack in the Titanic, we fill up with happy tears every time the ending credits roll on every Harry Potter movie and we fall apart when Shadow the Golden Retriever turns up at the end of Disney’s Homeward Bound covered in mud and limping to Peter after him saying “He was just too old”- God that’s worse than the bloody Titanic.

MORE OPTIONS IN THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT

When it comes to fashion we do have more choices when it comes to Men. For nightwear, men can wear a top, shorts, trousers, boxers or go completely nude. For women, we can wear, tops, shorts, trousers, bra, pants, nightie, onesie, bodysuit, go nude, and also, our partner’s clothes.

FANNY FARTS ARE PURE JOY

A Girls worse nightmare is not the tampon, It’s the almighty fanny fart. They come at the worse times most likely during sex and sometimes they can go on for a minute straight but they make cracking stories to tell the Girls!

WE DON’T HAVE TWO BALLS HANGING BETWEEN OUR LEGS

Its the one thing I can not get over, that men have two balls that they have to carry every where in the most uncomfortable place. Thank Christ we women don’t have to have that as we already have two big balls on our chest, can you imagine two balls bouncing around like it’s a rave in between our legs as well?

GUARANTEED TO GET IN THE CLUB

If you are a female you are given special treatment when it comes to going out. The number of times I have been out with male friends and they have been refused entry to a club because they are too tall or wearing baggy trousers…baffling. I once got a pint and a packet of HP nuts for free just for being “sweet” I wish that would work all the time…

WE GO TO THE BATHROOM TO PEE WE COME OUT WITH FRIENDS FOR LIFE

I think I can vouch for every girl in the WORLD that they have met someone on a bathroom break in a club/pub. I remember I was in London with three of my uni friends, I popped to the bathroom and came back with a hen party of 15 with free bottles of Prosecco, 2 sailor strippers and a pair of balls smacking on top of my head…It was a banging night.

WE CAN PUSH BASKETBALLS OUT OF OUR VAGINAS

If we can push basketball’s out of our vaginas, crap ourselves and crack a smile at the end of it, then I think we deserve all the CHANEL in the world…and fried chicken.

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT- WE CAN NOT BE CAUGHT OUT IN THE BEDROOM

And the Oscar goes to…Sorry lads!

WE HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE NOT TO GO OUT…PERIODS

They are complete bastards but periods are great reasons to get out of something and it’s a bloody good reason too! They also give us women time out to binge on crap and give us a good excuse to put on a bit of chub.

Yes, it’s pretty god damn awesome to be a woman.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Leamington Spa lifestyle

THE HIDDEN GEMS OF LEAMINGTON SPA

Leamington Spa is like a second home to me, you will often find me on weekends heading up to Leam rummaging through the charity shops, trying out new coffee shops and shopping in their great independents. For those who don’t know, Leamington Spa is a spa town located in Warwickshire, home to the gorgeous Jephson Gardens, Iconic Royal Pump rooms and Samuel Lockhart’s elephant trail. A beautiful Spa town that just oozes character throughout and offers so much for a fantastic day out for all to enjoy. Whenever it’s for a bite to eat, taking the kids for a day out or just finding a quiet spot to relax, Leamington Spa is the place you should put on your list to visit. So, where do you start? From unique independents to new expiring culinary openings, your Bab has got you covered when it comes to Leamington. Here are my favourite spots/hidden gems in Leamington Spa for you all to check out this month!

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD & COFFEE ARCHITECTS

The newest attraction to Leamington Spa is The Neighbourhood which is a street food dining venue where independent food companies join forces to cook up a storm and serve up meals you wouldn’t find in your local Asda. The Neighbourhood is located on Warwick Street opposite Coffee Architects their previous location and now, Coffee Architects is based in the Neighbourhood meaning YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET A SEAT NOW. The biggest pain with Coffee Architects is the food is incredible and the whole of Leamington Spa knew it so of course, you have a whole ship of people flocking there before silly old me comes trotting along from Sutton Coldfield. The coffee is fierce, the cakes are delicious, and the food is B E A UTIFUL! The new location is thriving, and I know, it will do amazingly well in Leamington Spa, the problem is I have to pop in every time I come into Leam and have a couple of dishes there (guaranteed you will be stuck for choice) which means piling on the weight on this big booty of mine…YIKES!

BERYLUNE

Berylune was once crammed into a little blue terrace house, it was impossible to move around without knocking into someone’s bottom. Now Berylune’s new location on Warwick Street is just up the road from the previous building with lots of room to browse this wonderous little gem in Leamington Spa. Berylune is an independent craft and gift shop which makes it the perfect place to be different and purchase unique gifts for your loved ones. The owners here are a ray of sunshine, always smiling, always happy and always helpful, every time I go into Berylune even if it’s raining, they manage to convince me the sun is shining outside. A must visit in Leamington Spa for all.

THE AVIARY CAFE IN JEPHSON GARDENS

One of my favourite things to do in Leamington is to go for a walk through Jephson Gardens and stop off for a coffee and a bite to eat at this darling cafe. They serve marvellous coffee/tea, delicious light bites (vegan and gluten options are available) and they offer a peaceful environment to work or to meet up with friends in whilst surrounded by artistic decor. I also would like to mention that the staff are pretty great and always comment on my lipstick…they know good lipstick! Whenever you are in Leamington, this is one of the places you most definitely should try out, a lovely gem.

LILAC ROSE

I do love my fashion and I adore small independent fashion brands that you wouldn’t see in the high street so Lilac Rose is the perfect store to find something a bit different! I find myself in here just dribbling over the dresses, the patterns, the fabrics just the uniqueness of it all, however, its not just a store for clothes. Lilac Rose also offers lovely gifts from jewellery to bags, if you are looking for something a bit different, Lilac Rose will help you find just that.

PLEASE NOTE IMAGE NOT MINE, THIS BELONGS TO LILAC ROSE

LIBERTINE BURGER

They drip, they ooze and well, let’s not turn this into a porno but these burgers are the shit. Last time I was at Libertine Burger I had a No.25 which was a signature beef patty with crispy smoky bacon, dripping stilton and red onion jam…now isn’t that just sex on buns hey? I find myself often refusing to leave Leamington without gorging on a Libertine Burger because quite frankly, they are the best burgers you can find in the Midlands.

HART + CO

Step into the world of FEMME with this little number in Leamington Spa, I have never stepped into a restaurant and been greeted by a bathtub full with balls before…Oh wait yes actually I have. HART + CO is what you call an “Instagrammable” spot with neon lights, pink lattes and props that will make you Instagram POP! HART + CO is not just offering you unique photo opportunities for the gram they offer out of this world food and creative cocktails, I mean a cocktail served in a Chinese takeaway box is AMAZEBALLS if you ask me. The cocktails are fun, refreshing and full of ZING Baby! The food looked incredible however I never managed to taste it BUT I will be doing a review of the Brunch this Month so keep an eye for it!

FAT BIRDS CAFE

From the outside Fat Birds Cafe seems to hides itself well in the high street however I call it Leamington Spa’s very own secret weapon. I have tried the breakfast and lunch at Fat Birds Cafe, both meals have soared past my expectations and really, I deserve a slap in the face for judging a book by its cover because Fat Birds Café serve exquisite food and deliver high standard service. You must try the cakes, all freshly baked offering gluten-free and vegan options.The prices are very reasonable for the food portions you receive here, the service is quick and the atmosphere is very relaxing. You are sure to leave Fat Birds feeling very satisfied.

WARWICKSHIRE STREET KITCHEN

A much-loved favourite in Leamington Spa and is one you have to set off early to so you can grab a seat. For 3 years I have been trying to get a seat in Warwickshire Street Kitchen and in December I set my alarm for 8 am, I pre-ordered my train tickets and I had my sweat pants on that I must admit, I burnt a bloody hole in where my butt cheeks lay because of the speed I was going at but all worth it as I finally got a seat…HOORAH! Well worth the wait for a good ol’ hearty breakfast to warm the baps on a winter’s day, I would recommend the ham hock, hollandaise sauce with poached egg it was utterly divine. I always pop in here for the Coffee which is brewed to perfection and grab a homemade bake in which don’t get me started on the cakes! They are a bloody treat. Another fantastic place in Leamington to eat!

I will be adding more to the list so keep an eye out over the coming months, there are more gems to be discovered in Leamington Spa and I am here to tell you about them, so keep with me Bab and subscribe.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham review

THE BIG BIRMINGHAM BAKE IN DIGBETH

FAKE IT TILL YOU BLOODY BAKE IT BAB!

I tell you I’m like a walking-talking Expedia when it comes to Digbeth, dare I say it but I have another exciting attraction for you all to try out in Digbeth however with this one, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty Bab. Introducing The Big Birmingham Bake in Digbeth which is a competitive cooking experience where you have 90 minutes to create the winning bake and be in with a chance of taking home the Best Baker price. Very similar to the channel 4 GBBO but you don’t have to be an experienced baker and you don’t have to do it alone, you can work in teams of two. So I was pretty much over the moon when The Big Birmingham Bake invited me and Heather down to try out this brand new experience!

Upon arrival, you see the tent where the baking takes place. Opposite the tent is a couple of old bike containers offering a quirky sitting area where you can grab a coffee before the fun begins. When your time arrives you are then gathered together by the head baker to show/scan your ticket, then you head-on into the tent and choose your work station. A recipe card that you follow with all instructions is laid out for you as well with all ingredients (these are already weighed) ovens are already preheated and your baking tools are all there. The one thing we said on the way to the bake-off was “I hope we are not making doughnuts” not because I don’t like them, but because they are funny buggers to make, but guess what, it was Doughnut month, so of course, We are baking doughnuts kids!

Before we start we are given a short introduction by the head baker who went over the rules and safety procedures we must follow. The most important rule is “just have fun” and just like that my game face came on. I was eyeing up my competitors and I was choosing my enemies. It was like mean girls meets Bake-off, but of course it was healthy competitiveness. I had no plans to sabotage other bakers creations….or did I? Before my evil genius plans were coming together they were suddenly melted away by…

3..2..1 BAKE!

Everyone starts running around like headless chickens scrambling over the recipe cards and ingredients. The recipe is pretty straight forward it’s like GCSE Food Technology and you also have baker assistants there to help you if you get a bit beaten up with the baking. At the front, you have the shelves stacked with decorations, flavourings, and food colours. We were making two types of doughnuts. The ring doughnuts that were to be judged on presentation and the filled doughnuts that were to be judged on taste.

We decided to make toffee apple and cinnamon doughnuts. The ingredients were all over our work station as the pressure of the bake-off was mounting especially when they announce how much time you have left every 30 minutes and where you should be at. A little tip for you guys, you only live once…lick the bowl 😛 . It was great to get in touch with your creative side when it comes to decorating the doughnuts, for the ring doughnuts we went for a marble blue cinnamon icing covered in galaxy stars and eyes and for the filled doughnuts we rolled them in sugar and pink wafers using the same filling as the ring doughnuts. Like two kids in a free frawl candy shop, me and Heather got very creative with our doughnuts.

Surprisingly we didn’t find ourselves having any hiccups along the way but I noticed that there was always help whenever you needed it from the staff who are all lovely, so if you did manage to balls something up it can be fixed so donut worry about it! The time flies by your so busy with checking the times on your creations and making sure you are following the ingredients properly that you do easily lose sight of the time as well as just enjoying being part of the competition.

3..2..1 TIMES UP

We finished just in time and so did everyone else. We all brought our doughnuts to the front and you could just see a buffet of doughnuts with a range of colours and decoration, what a pretty picture. We all went around the group and explained what we made and the head baker got stuck into tasting them all which was absolutely hilarious to watch as the head baker is pretty honest, so if something doesn’t taste right they will say but of course, in a light-hearted way.

After a quick deliberation it was time to announce the results…

And we got beaten by an 8-year-old kid! but I think it was only because he said it was his birthday and well come on, we’ve all used that chestnut before, haven’t we?! Every time I go to Harry Potter world I say it’s my birthday so I get to open the doors to the great hall even when it’s obviously not my birthday resulting in the kids giving me death stares…suckers. However all the doughnuts were pretty incredible, I was with a right creative bunch and even though we didn’t win, I was proud that we actually created doughnuts and didn’t bugger it up! I took my doughnuts home and offered them to my Mom in which she responded: “ Did 5 years old make those?”…oh donut even go there sugar plum! because 6 doughnuts became 2 the very next day and I caught the culprit that was my Mother tucking into them whilst watching Judge Rinder.

The Big Birmingham Bake is truly a fantastic experience that I would recommend within a heartbeat to anyone, it’s fun, it’s exciting and competitive! A great quirky take on the Chanel 4 great British bake-off, so if you love the show, you will love this. A truly wonderful and exhilarating experience racing against the clock covered in buttercream and sprinkles, I took home two deserts: my doughnuts and myself, a sure winner in Birmingham!

Week day tickets are priced at £39.50 and weekend tickets are price at £42.50. Grab you tickets here

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

DATING IN BIRMINGHAM

So a couple of weeks ago I was on Tinder and this lad who I matched with ages ago but just didn’t have the balls to say “hello” popped up asking me if I had any valentines day plans. I have never spoken to this chap, I was a bit unsure as to why I was matched with him as he’s chest was bigger than my own and in his bio, he said he doesn’t like dogs. I matched with a monster however I was intrigued with his message and I messaged back saying no, I also questioned what was with the random message that came totally out of the blue. He messaged me back to say that this would be his 2nd year single now on Valentine’s day and the 2nd anniversary of his ex-partner dumping him because he reminded her of Ted Bundy. That was it… unmatch, delete app and throw’s phone to the other side of the room…I WAS DONE. Am I the only person who puts up with this nonsense? and then I realised I wasn’t the only person, talking to my friend she had met up the other night with her Tinder date for a meal in an Indian restaurant only for her date to leave her mid-meal and then received a text to say “Sorry I’ve gone home the hamsters died” My Money is on him shitting himself to be honest. So I thought I would do a blog post of fellow Brummies experiences with the dating scene here in Birmingham. I asked and wow, you guys delivered alright…

TOMS IN SNOBS

I was on my third date with this lad of Tinder called Tom and we went out in the Mailbox and decided to hit Snobs after. We went in had a couple of drinks and I went to go to the bathroom and I bumped into my ex-boyfriend who is also called Tom. Proper awkward so it was just a small chat. I went to the toilet and I text my date on my phone saying “Just bumped into my twatty ex whos got loads fatter and has a bumchin now, currently hiding in the toilet can you come get me?” I waited for around 10 minutes and went outside only to be greeted by my ex again holding up his phone with my text message. I sent the message to the wrong Tom! He was completely pissed!”

-Hannah

MEET THE FAMILY

I was introduced to this guys sister in law in the Botanist on our second date. He kept telling me that he told his whole family about us and that they couldn’t wait to meet me…I was going to end it that evening too. So Awkward!

-Sarah Lauren

WHAT A COCK UP…OUCH

I was on a date and she went to the bar to get the second round of drinks in while she was there she texts her sister “he’s nice but I’m not feeling it” Wonder how I know? the text came through to me instead!

-Max

MEN COVER YOUR CROTCHES

I was on a date and I was so nervous that I knocked a whole glass of wine on his crotch and then he walked me to the bus stop like a gentleman and when I turned around I smacked him in the crotch with my bag! I didn’t see him after that…

-Naomi

TAKING THE MOTHER HOME

Went to the Lost & Found in Birmingham for a second date, I went to the bar to get a drink and came back to my date hounded by a load of women on a hen do. They were all staring at me and when I went back to the table, My date introduces me to one of the hens who turned out to be her mother. Her mother was all over me drunk and I was invited to have a couple of drinks with them. I never saw my date ever again because I got too pissed that I went home with the mother instead…

-Jake

THE WORSE NIGHT EVER

So I was speaking to a few girls on Tinder and went on a coffee date with this girl, I think she was really into me because she started talking about a second date in which I agreed to. When the date ended I had a message of another girl who I was speaking to asking if I was in Birmingham and to meet her, I had nothing else planned so I met up with her. We had a couple of drinks in the Jewellery Quarter and we just both lost track of time and it was hitting 10 o’clock, we decided to go Actress and Bishop for last drinks. We were both proper drunk so we started kissing by the bar until someone tapped me on my shoulder and I turned round to see my coffee date from the morning there screaming at me then on my way out I bumped into my ex girlfriend. They all ignored me after this. Let’s just say I’ll never bring a date to Actress & bishop again…

-Rob

THE DATE WHO IS STILL HUNG UP OVER THEIR EX

I went on a date with this chap who was really lovely but quite shy. We had a couple of drinks and he started asking about my ex partners. When I asked him about his ex, his bottom lip started to shake, he threw his head in his hands and admitted he was still in love with his ex. I rubbed his shoulder to comfort him and he started full-blown crying in the middle of All bar one in Birmingham. I had to ask the bar staff for more tissues as he used all the tissues on the table and we hadn’t even had our dinner yet. I had to cut it short but he messaged me the next day asking for another date, I politely declined.

–Luce

CREEPING JESUS

A few years ago I worked in retail (millets on Union street) and was using Tinder. Matched with a guy and started chatting to him, arranged a date but I had a bad feeling about it so I called it off. A few weeks later, he came into the store. I wasn’t sure if it was him but he was staring at me from the other side of the shop and just stood there for ages. I asked a colleague to speak to him and when he answered he had an American accent so I knew it was him. I then went and hid in the staff room until he left and when I finished my shift he’d sent me a creepy text

-Hayley

PUSSY FART

So I just started seeing this lad of Tinder and we went back to his house after a drunken night out. We were having sex than all of a sudden I heard this massive noise that was most definitely a fart! I paused and his face went really red and he looked mortified. I giggled asking “Was that you?” he shook his head and said “Nah it was the cat coming in the room” I couldn’t carry on, I was dyinggggggg!

-Georgina

BLOODY WOMEN

Went to the cinema with my date to watch Little Women and halfway through the film she got up to go to the toilet. She came back after 20 minutes and whispered in my ear “I have got to go” I asked her if she was okay and she replied ” I have come on my period and I don’t have a tampon” Say no more she left and I stayed to finish the film. I think I would have done the same if I wore white jeans.

-Craig Z

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

SURVIVING VALENTINES DAY

Come the end of January and you will see hearts popping up all over the city, you go to your local coffee shop on Saturdays and its full of couples that are recreating the “I won’t let go Jack” Titanic scene and food shop on Sundays you are always harassed by the check-out to buy those on sale chocolate hearts that taste like ass. You just can’t escape the plague that we call “Valentine’s day” I have only celebrated Valentine’s day for the first year of a relationship probably because you feel the pressure to do so in the first year of a relationship. Us single people try our best to survive this eye-rolling “holiday” but sometimes we just can’t. The reason I dislike this holiday is not that I’m single, I like being single! But because people judge and question why you are single thinking you’re weird? Maybe some people just want to enjoy their own company and not have to fork money out for a pointless day that should be celebrated every day. If you are in a couple and are not celebrating your love with your partner every day then THAT is weird, and you really need to question your relationship. Sadly, this holiday can bring back painful memories of singletons who are no longer in a relationship and I would like to give something back to those people, so here’s a quick guide I put together to surviving Valentine’s day.

AVOID BUYING LATTES

You know that coffee you get every morning from your local independent that helps you get through the day, yeah forget it about it, Pal. Not only is valentines day in the air but its also in our bloody food and drink especially in coffee shops where baristas like to get all arty-farty with the holiday and create all lovey-dovey art in our coffee.

FOOD IS NOT YOUR FRIEND THIS “HOLIDAY”

Valentine’s day now has its own bloody aisle in your local Tescos, I remember the days when it was just one farty little stand at the front of the shop that had some crappy 99p cards and dead roses. You can buy all sorts for your loved one’s flowers, alcohol, socks and underpants with an open window and we all know it’s not for easy access for the toilet. Even at the checkout, you can’t escape it, there’s always some sort of valentines till deals it’s like the scene out of Love Actually “Would you like some chocolates? Would you like it gift wrapped? We also have a very lovely heart-shaped designed gift bag to put it in and can spray with lavender?!” I mean I rather go to Aldi where they sling your shopping at you, don’t ask questions and have the 2 minutes of awkward bag packing.

RESTAURANTS ARE A DEFINATE NO

On the weekend I went to a lovely little restaurant in Leamington Spa, unfortunately, my experience was ruined by an uncalled reenactment of the Titanic. A couple leaning over the table holding each other’s hands and kissing every 20 seconds-Yeah, I’m not joking. Why do couples feel the need to throw it in peoples faces? there is a time and a bed at home where you can do all that hanky panky, you don’t need to do it in public and around food.

NETFLIX AND TAKEAWAY

Sometimes the best way to celebrate valentines day is in your pants on the sofa with a dirty takeaway and Netflix.

WATCH LA LA LAND

La La Land taught me three lessons

  1. You don’t always end up with your soulmate
  2. Love is not like the love you see in the movies. Boy meets girl, they fall in love there’s a small bump in the road they get over it and they kiss the end. Sometimes relationships can pause all life aspirations and love, could be you as a partner stepping back and letting your partner bloom no matter how painful it may feel. Sometimes we do need to pause our relationships for ourselves to flourish and achieve our highest potential in life but there’s always a price.
  3. Never regret love, be grateful if you have ever experienced it because some couples out there who scream the L-word within 2 weeks don’t know how amazing and yet devasting it is to experience that feeling.

OR WATCH A HORROR WHERE THE ANNOYING COUPLE DIES FIRST

Okay okay, you can’t just watch a horror film to see a poor innocent couple murdered to shit but you can watch a horror film and take notes on why the annoying couples get the chop first and appreciate that you have the advantage as a single person you are more likely to outlive the couple. I swear I am not drunk writing this…

SINGLE LADIES REVEAL YOURSELVES!

SINGLE PRINGLES LETS MINGLE!

If you are lucky to have a few single friends then why not head out into town and embrace being single! I actually saw a tweet the other day from a girl called “Lolly” saying “Valentines day is for couples, why do I always go out with my bf on V day and see desperate single girls everywhere?! so annoying” 

  1. First things first “Lolly” you name is pure wank
  2. You are confusing confident with desperate.
  3. If you are noticing these girls more than your bf then maybe you need to jump ship Bab and hop on the muffin express Deeeekhead!

Let single people go out and enjoy themselves, there is no rulebook to say that single people can’t go out on valentines day, they have a valentine and that’s themselves and I will embrace that any bloody day because love for yourself comes first before anyone else

DIGITAL DETOX- TURN OFF THE PHONE

Smushy photos of couples, heart-themed Snapchat filters and thirrrrrstaaay tweets. I rather celebrate “I GOT MY PERIOD” day then this hoo har of a holiday. The best thing you can do is switch off and avoid. I switched my phone off the other day for 5 hours, I found myself watching pointless tv just to fill the time like Bad Girls Club and “My wife left me for a robot” documentaries. I kept looking over my shoulder at my phone and you know you have a problem when you choose to look at your phone rather than eat your steak dinner. Argh! so ashamed of myself so a digital detox is something I take part in every week now.

WRITE YOURSELF A LOVE LETTER

To many, this may sound ridiculous but you know what, it actually works. After my last relationship, I wrote myself a letter on why I deserved better, why I’m so great and why at this time you don’t need anyone to hold you up because you can hold yourself on your own. That’s one of the biggest things I have learnt in life is that some people just can’t hold themselves in life and they need a partner to carry them along throughout life, what happens if your partner gets tired of carrying you and decides to go carry another person? I was carried a lot in life but now I feel strong enough to carry myself and for me personally, that is pretty sexy!

AND REMIND YOURSELF COUPLES MIGHT BE HAVING SEX BUT YOU KNOW YOU

For some reason, if your in a couple you are expected by the whole world to have sex on Valentine’s day. This is a load of TITS because my last relationship lasted 7 years and we have not once had sex on Valentine’s day. However, if you are planning to all I can say is Way to go…but if your single remember this you know you and it takes years for someone else to “know” you and what you like. So save yourself some disappointing sex and well, have a night in with yourself.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
dating lifestyle

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A DATE

So when do you want to go out?

That’s it, those 8 words and BANG! Questions come flooding in “Is it too soon?” “what if he’s a bloody psychopath and wants to use my body as a piece of furniture?” and “OH GOD I NEED TO GET MY HOOHAR WAXED AND THERES NO APPOINTMENTS LEFT” Let’s face it most of us crap ourselves when we hear those words, whatever the reason it just gets the heart racing and sends us into an excited/smug mode for 1 minute that quickly turns into a hysterical panic mode where we start to question life and all that jazz. Just agree to the bloody date, will you? because I have the perfect little self-help guide to help you prepare for your date and calm those pesky nerves.

PLAN AHEAD- PAMPER DAY

First things first, you are in need of a pamper day. It’s the get down and get dirty, cleanse that first date virgin out of your system. You want to look and feel great so spoil yourself as in a “budget” spoil yourself, instead of a £100 spa day get yourself a face mask and a hot bubble bath. I know plenty of girls go out to get themselves a new haircut, spray tan, wax and all but for a first date? You could be meeting a bloody ryvita for Christ sakes, meaning a waste of a bloody wax. For people who dont know what I mean by “ryvita” its the name I give to someone who is a bit plain, boring and simply unbearable (put it in a polite way) to shag.

LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME

You want to make an impression, right? What can you do? Well for a lot of girls its get the tits out but come on, first date ladies, please, Leave the kids back at home, period. Unless you want a bit of sexy time then I say let the kids hang out and play all night long.

PLAN THE DATE

You will feel so much better if you plan the date rather than “oh we will find something to do” If you’re planning to go out on a Friday night, are you sure you are going to get a table or get to the bar? plus you want to be able to hear your date theres no point him asking you what you do for your job and your just sitting there nodding your head like a dolphin. It’s just awful just wasting time on a date looking for places to go for your date to play out. Also BE SAFE, first dates at his place? Oh hell no that is one booty call and a half my friend!

EAT

Make sure you eat on the day of the date, you don’t want to be turning up on an empty belly and throwing chunks all over your poor date. Luckily never happened to me but I thought it was a good idea to not eat on the day of my date. There was no need to open my mouth as every time my date opened his mouth to speak my belly would respond to him, I think he noticed as he ordered a cheese board with the second round of drinks…

THE TOILET IS YOUR BESTFRIEND

Oh, come on, we all experience the nervous belly on the day of your first date and sometimes we just need to flush the crap quite literally, out of our system to get on and not panic throughout your date thinking that you are going to CRAP yourself. You feel loads better for doing so, so I would recommend grabbing a newspaper (not the Sun because that could cause angry shitting- not advisable) and just chill on there for a good 30 minutes.

KNOW YOUR FACTS

A last minute Tinder check is essential. It’s always good to know your facts before you meet your date especially remembering his name and don’t call them by their celebrity lookalikes, for example, I met up with this one lad who looked just like Harry Styles, I must have said Harry over 20 times that night and at the end of the night, he had to kindly remind me that his name was Tom.

BE YOU

Don’t turn up like a prissy “ I am no virgin to this first dates rubbish” It’s cute to be scatty, it’s comforting to show nerves and its sexy to be you and bloody own who you are. You’re nervous? well, join the club your dates nervous too so just bask in the first few minutes of nerves because they are sure to scatter away as the conversation gets going.

WATCH RU PAUL OR DRAMA FILLED TV TO KEEP YOUR MIND OCCUPIED

On the day of the date some people literally just sit on social media all day waiting for their date, not me, not since I discovered RU PAUL. There is so much drama going on in that program that I shamefully cancelled on a date (IM SO SORRY I KNOW I’M A SHIT!) just to watch the season finale, obviously don’t do what I did but take half your day up to watch some drama-packed tv to take your mind off the date later on. I will advise staying away from Sex Education as when I was on a date, we were drunkenly quoting “ITS MY VAGINA” throughout the night but then the drink wore off me and I suddenly realised he looked like a bit of a bellend saying it.

KEEP IN TOUCH ON THE DAY

It hasn’t happened to me yet, but I have spoken to friends on the day of meeting their dates and they don’t speak to them until they meet at 7 pm. Now for me, I need to speak to my date on the day of meeting them as…

1. Need to exchange wardrobe ideas, we need to be on the same page about this I could be turning up as a classy Hepburn and he could be turning up as Farmer Al.

2. It’s pretty rude to ignore your date until you are actually meeting them it kind of tells me “let’s cut all the small talk and try my chances of getting you into bed tonight sweetheart”

3. You know that this is REALLY happening.

LET THEM WAIT FOR YOU

The worse is right before you meet them, you have arranged the time and the location to meet. For me personally, I am a nervous wreck and I like to know my date is there waiting for me. This cures so many nerves before my date. The main reason for this is I know he’s real, he’s there I CAN SEE HIM! Where if it is me waiting around it’s just going to make my nerves get out of control and I will start panicking thinking a Catfish is going to turn up.

Taking these into consideration on the day of your date will hopefully calm those nerves down, are they going to completely disappear? Absolutely not, I am not bloody Jesus. You are going to be nervous but there are ways to lower the nerve meter for you to relax a little. I know the biggest concerns for us girls is “what if he doesn’t like me?” okay so what If he doesn’t like you? That’s it the world has ended? No more sales on shoes? The thing is SO WHAT? it’s not the end of the world, you move on this is not a world full of vaginas there’s plenty more manhood out there for us ladies to explore. The thing is it could be you who decides this is not what you want in your life right now, for me I have discovered that dating is just something to fill the spaces in my life for when I get a little bit bored it doesn’t mean that I am desperate to find the one because I’m not, I don’t have time for the one and really, I don’t have time to date. Dating can give you confidence, it can make you come out of your shell and it can make you realise that you owe yourself a lot more credit than you already giving yourself. The best advice I can give is to let go and enjoy yourself BUT know your worth. 

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Food review

AFTERNOON TEA AT CHATEAU IMPNEY

You don’t have to travel too far to feel like royalty these days. To many people royalty could be a fry up in your local pub, a free arm massage from your work colleague or an afternoon tea in an enchanting 1875 French Chateau surrounded by 140 acres of picturesque grounds. I know which one I would pick. Introducing Chateau Impney, a stunning venue located in Droitwich that offers accommodation and plays host to a variety of events in the Midlands. Me and my friend Sian were invited to try out the afternoon tea 2 for 1 offer and take a tour of the Chateau.

Upon arriving at the Chateau the first thing you will encounter is the 140 acres of land which is like something out of Downtown Abbey or a Jane Austin novel. Views of waterfalls, cherry blossom and swans taking a dip into the lake, now all we need is an enchanting castle to go with it..oh wait! Upon entering the Chateau, we were guided down to the Impney restaurant where the afternoon tea took place in a modern extension. We were greeted by the host and shown to our tables and were asked for what drinks we would like to be served with the afternoon tea. Once ordered we had a little wonder around the restaurant which seemed to have two different styles on either side. One side was very modern with leather chairs, purple walls and wooden tables. The other side had more of a rustic botanist theme with fairy lights and greenery covering the ceiling. Very different but strangely seemed to tie in quite well together, but not so much with the rest of the Chateau that boasts original french archtiecture. 

After 10 minutes the afternoon tea arrived at our table offering a very generous selection of sandwiches, cakes, and scones. There were many sandwiches with a variety of fillings such as cheese and caramelised onion, egg and cress, fresh salmon, ham and cheese, and cucumber. The sandwiches were fresh, filling and very tasty. The Scones are served with fresh cream and jam, and they were delightful. Perfectly sized cakes are on offer from cheesecake, caramel slice, fudge/chocolate cake and carrot cake. The staff are very attentive and are really friendly, the price of the afternoon tea is not high class but the quality of service and food you are receiving certainly is. The offer is 2 for 1 so it costs £20 which is an absolute steal for the afternoon tea you are getting. I have paid up to £35 in some restaurants and the quality/quantity doesn’t even come close to the Chateau.

After the afternoon tea, we were introduced to Peter who was the General Manager. He took us on a little tour of the Chateau. Peter was like a walking Wikipedia of Chateau Impney, he gave us so much information and went through the history of the Chateau. Peter showed us one of the luxury Chateau feature rooms which was just something out of a fairy tale. The room was possibly the size of my house, it also had one of those arty-farty bathtubs behind the bed that could fit a family of 6 in and a king-size bed that was fit for a King and Queen. The view of the grounds from the room is breath taking and even when you come away from the balcony the luxury of the room still makes it breath taking! On the tour, we also took a look at some of the exhibition rooms that can hold up to 800 people in. The hall that offers grand features where weddings are held and the beautiful gardens. The gardens were something that reminded me of a cross between Alice in Wonderland and The Secret garden. Sadly, the day was a bit dull so we didn’t stay long in gardens, but it would be lovely to come back in the summer to see the whole of the garden out in bloom in its full glory, bathed in sunlight. 

Chateau Impney is a venue that you could only imagine would exist in fairy tales. An enchanting building full of character and life that would make a stunning backdrop for any special event. The afternoon tea was delicious and for the price it is, I believe it to be far too generous. High-quality food, very generous portions and good value for money- it should be something you need to put on your list to do this month. Chateau Impney is a real fairytale to be explored by all, from the moment you drive into the grounds to the moment you step out, you are treated like royalty. Thank you Chateau Impney for inviting me, a tip-top royal experience I will never forget.

The Afternoon tea 2 for 1 offer ends on 27th February 2020.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham

NQ64 DIGBETH- REVIEW

[REVIEW LOADING]

Introducing the newest addition to Digbeth, NQ64 is a new arcade bar located in the heart of the Custard Factory inviting gamers to relive their childhoods with classic 80s/90s arcade games that we used to rinse our parents of their money to play. Me and my friend Laura was invited to the launch night on Thursday and just like that, We stepped into a time machine and went back to the 90s to relive our forgotten youth.

Stepping into NQ64 is like stepping into the world of Stranger Things teaming up with Pizza Planet from Toy Story with, of course, a splash of Digbeth. UV lighting, neon paint and then you hear them “ITS-A ME, MARIO” “FINISH HIM” “K.O.” all the iconic phrases you would hear as a child in a 90s arcade. As a child, you would run to the nearest available game but as an adult, you now would run to the nearest bar or toilet.

The bar is not the biggest, but it seemed to have quite a few staff members behind there juggling glasses. Staff are very pleasent and interacte well with gamers. The drinks menu is on the board offering a variety of arcade-themed cocktails, beers/ales on draught and bottles. I went for the princess peach cocktail which is a peached flavoured prosecco and Laura went for Bubble Bobble which is a combination of rum/gin coconut prosecco which came in one of those ice blast cups, very quirky I like it! I found the cocktails to be quite sweet but that didn’t stop me from throwing it down me, I did opt for a pale ale in the iconic red cup which was very lovely! The prices of the drinks are reasonable, cocktails are priced at £8 and Ales around £4.50. NQ64 do not offer hot food but they do offer a variety of arcadian themed crisp such as space raiders and space invaders.

An impressive game selection here in NQ64 you have your head to head games such as Tekken, Mario Kart and even Crash Bandicoot team racing. I could spend hours on Mario kart and one thing I really like about this place is that anyone can join in with you, you come with your friends and its very impossible to make even more friends in NQ64. Time Crisis was a favourite of mine, Laura and I found ourselves shoving the tokens down the slots and slamming down on the continue button, Time Crisis did strip us the most of our tokens.The pinball machines are also great fun but I found myself coming out with sounds that I didn’t even know they existed in me. To some people, they must have sounded like “fooling around” noises. Take note Amy not to enjoy yourself too much in public places.

The prices for games are feasible, they offer a deal of 15 tokens for £6 behind the bar. When looking around you will notice 80s/90s video arcade memorabilia scattered around such as token coins and comic book covers. Good news! this place doesnt have those rob dog coin pusher “games” do you know how much pocket money I lost as a child on those Saturn machines?! You put money in and you get nothing in return, its like the gold digger of machines.

A paradise for gamers, you could spend hours in here and as for first dates, I think NQ64 just kicked Ghetto Golfs arse by taking the crown as the new first dates spot in Digbeth.

Another exciting new venue to Digbeth that is sure to have a thriving future here in Birmingham. Great vibe through out the venue with 90s hip hop playing in the background, great combination of drinks and a very generous offering of retro arcade gaming. Some would say NQ64 is a bar for “Gamer Nerds” maybe so, but it’s also a great place to let your hair down, take off that work tie and just have some good hard fun with friends. I may warn you friendships might be at stake here but the feeling of beating your friends on the driving games when they have a license and you dont is utterly delightful.

Thank you NQ64 for the crazy ride.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham review

ROXY BALL ROOM BIRMINGHAM -REVIEW

GOT BALLZ BAB?

Come on through Roxy Ball Room, another brand new addition to Digbeth that is guaranteed to be a popular attraction for all in Birmingham. Located on Heath Mill Lane just right next door to Birdies bar and just round the corner from Digbeth Dining Club, Digbeth is thriving lately with more independents and attractions opening up every month, so why not throw another one into the mix hey?! I was invited to the launch night of Roxy Ball Room, a venue offering a variety of thrilling games for all to enjoy. From bowling, beer pong to arcade games, there’s plenty to explore in this adult version of Disneyland.

Arriving at 6.15 pm the venue was already getting packed out, the sound of bowling strikes, the clinking of glasses and the cheers from groups of people already enjoying themselves and its only 15 minutes into opening time?! The venue is pretty big offering a good selection of games that are spread out on two floors. The ground floor offers bowling, arcade games, bar and a few beer pong tables whereas upstairs offers more games such as ping pong, pool tables, shuffleboards and well, even more beer pong! Right next to the bar on the ground floor is the games desk where you would book your games.

The bar offers a variety of craft beers, wines and flashy cocktails, with all that on offer we pulled the basic bitch move, glass of prosecco, please! The first thing that caught my eye when you walk into Roxy is the Arcadian basketball machines. Pumped up to shoot some hoops, like an absolute klutz I spilt my prosecco over the machine-For god sake, you silly bugga Amy. Filling up with embarrassment as I had only been here no more than 15 minutes, one of the staff members came out of nowhere advising me not to worry, cleaned up the prosecco and then like a knight in shining armour brought me another prosecco with a smile within a minute, now that’s a bloody good service right there.

After shooting some hoops we made our way to the games desk and booked the bowling, straight away we were offered a lane. The game was set up already for us and also a staff member was there ready and waiting for any drinks or food orders. It’s £8 per person per game which is cheaper than my local. The bowling is just good solid fun, I haven’t played bowling in years and the thought of juggling heavy balls for the night doesn’t really excite me, but I absolutely loved it. My friend and I were howling with laughter, I managed to pull it out of the bag and get myself a strike, however, being all “Billy big balls” from my strike, soon landed me in the gutter and losing the game. Now, If you don’t fancy bowling there is plenty of fun-filled games to get that competitive streak out of you! Why not fancy a bit of beer pong? Balls, Brummies and booze? Now that’s a cocktail I’ll have any time of the day.

Talking of cocktails, there is a variety on offer behind the bar from signature cocktails, craft beers and for groups, they provide drink packages for reasonable prices. For those who fancy a quiet night (lolz) or still participating in “Dry January” there is a good selection of mocktails and soft drinks on offer. The service is pretty sharp here, I didn’t wait long at all to order a drink (2 minutes) and being a 5 ft 1 girl, the struggle is real when ordering a drink at the bar. Again the customer service was fantastic, very friendly and accommodating.

Now on to the food, from baked to perfection pizzas to naughty dripping burgers on offer to satisfy your taste buds or to help soak some of that alcohol up Pal. The pizzas are delicious but dangerous, as Laura and I found ourselves drooling over the bar a couple of times watching the chefs bake even more pizza and signalling them to feed us more. The portions differ, if you’re not feeling that hungry you can always opt for snacks such as cracked pepper chips and Mac N Cheese bites. Roxy also offers vegan and gluten-free options, these are highlighted on the menu. The prices are spot on for the portion and quality of food you get.

Another fantastic attraction that fits in perfectly in Digbeth with its industrial “Ready Player One” interior, Electric vibes flowing throughout and Birmingham artwork honouring the city with Birmingham icons such as Ozzy Osbourne and Mike Skinner. This playground for adults is guaranteed to give all a bloody tip-top time. The prices are reasonable, the staff are fun and attentive to gamers and the atmosphere is buzzing. The only negative I would say about Roxy Ball Room is that all good things must come to an end and I didn’t want the night to end, you could balls it all up and still have a bloody awesome time in there. Round up your crew and head on down to Roxy Ball Room in Digbeth, it’s time to put on that game face and get your ballz wet Babs!

Thank you for the invite and welcome to the Digbeth family, Roxy Ball Room. To many people Roxy will be right up their alley. This place is guaranteed to become a Brummie gem in months to come.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham lifestyle

10 THINGS I REMEMBER GROWING UP IN BIRMINGHAM IN THE 90S

I was sat the other day by the Birmingham library looking out on the hectic Broad Street which is more like a classier version of the strip in Malia. Memories suddenly came flooding back to me going along this street in a car with my family being mesmerised by Broad Street, I still do feel mesmerised with the number of blow-up dolls and girls falling out of cabs with the skirts over their heads however I had completely forgotten how much Birmingham has changed over the years. I am going back about 20 years ago, back to the 90’s where I would be full of excitement going up those bloody long escalators coming out of New Street station into the Pallasades, begging my mom to go to Woolworths for the pick n mix and then using all my birthday money to buy 4 for £20 on music cassettes from Virgin Megastore. What I know now and what I knew then is pure comedy, and I thought I would do a little post and share my thoughts of Birmingham as an 8-year old curious child and I am pretty sure some of you might have thought the same of our City

BROAD STREET OR ROME?

I remember my parents uset to take me out in the car to various Saturday night events and I would always see this building that would question if my Mom and Dad had drugged my frosties that morning and took me to Rome for the night. Although this sounds like a fantastic idea (not the drugging bit) but this was not the case. As I got older I realised that my parents were not taking me to Rome every other Saturday night they were just taking me to that bloody long street in Birmingham; Broad Street. I later found out that the building that convinced me I was in Rome was in fact, The Town Hall. Parents take note if you want to take your kids on holiday, just take them to Broad Street.

FLARES WAS EVERY 8 YEAR OLDS REASON TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING AN 8 YEAR OLD.

Those big purple doors, the people standing outside in fancy dress and the flickers of light reflecting off the disco balls you would see from outside. I didn’t want the newest Barbie doll or any more Polly Pocket’s for my birthday, I wanted an ID to go to Flares. “It’s for big people, you can go to it when you are 18” when I finally turned 18, I checked out Flares and..it was a bag of shite.

THE DISNEY SHOP IN THE PAVILLIONS

I remember sitting in front of the TV and seeing advertisements for Disney World, of course, the overly happy kids, my favourite characters pratting around with families and the Kiss from Mickey at the end sold it to me. It was selling the dream to kids, so 90% of kids would beg their parents to take them to Disney World whereas the other 10% would beg to go to Butlins. Finally, my Mom turned around after months of begging and said we are going to Disney World and I can pick something to buy! It still didn’t hit me when I was heading into town on the bus with no suitcase. My mother had me like a fool as I stood outside the Disney shop in the Pavilions shopping centre in Birmingham looking very confused, this certainly was not Disney world. I soon shut up when I had a run around and was obsessed with watching the big screen with all narrated Disney movie trailers. I did manage to go to the REAL Disney world when I was 11 years old and they just forget to mention how bloody expensive, overly crowded and how most of the rides are not suitable for shortarses like me. This photo was taken after I was not allowed to go on the Kraken at Seaworld as I was too short…I was pissed.

TAMMY GIRL

From Bay to MK one and then we had the ruler of all girl’s fashion Etam/Tammy Girl. I remember Etam in the City Centre of Birmingham, can’t quite remember where exactly but I do remember when the redevelopment of the Bull Ring finished in 2003 Etam and Tammy Girl was moved to the Bullring. Tammy Girl was usually on top of Etam and it was aimed at the teeny girl boppers, if I had an upcoming party It would be Tammy Girl where I would be getting my outfit. Sadly, Tammy Girl is no more.

THE VAMPIRES IN THAT PARK

Getting the bus into town and getting off along Bull street, I would always walk past a park (you guessed it, Pigeon Park) that was home to “vampires” of course, as I got older I realised these were not vampires but they were people who followed the “Goth or Emo” lifestyle. I would see them all standing round in circles, some swigging back these bottles that looked like they had pee inside them (It was lambrini) and some of them would be trying to sunbathe. One thing I knew for sure when I was 8, was that I didn’t want to end up joining the vampires and drinking pee when I was older.

BRMB PARTY IN THE PARK

96.4 fm BRMB, Every year BRMBs Party in the park would come to Brum and I remember always wanting to go in the 90s however the new Millennium came and in 2002 I found myself at my very first and also my last BRMB party in the Park concert. Blue, Gareth Gates, Will Young and more acts performed at the Birmingham City football ground, I couldn’t tell you what I thought of the concert because I can’t remember a thing but if I can remember seeing S Club Juniors then I am pretty sure I would have remembered these acts so I am guessing they must have been shite.

50P FOR A BUS TICKET WAS EXPENSIVE

Don’t you just hate it when the elderly turn round to you and say, “oh you young people got it easy nowadays” No, I haven’t got it easy because I have to fork out around £5 every day to get to work and back then get asked multiple times by Randoms for change?! Gone are the glory days of paying 50p or under to get into Town and also, to add insult to injury, many of the buses don’t print out the McDonalds and Burger King vouchers anymore. However, as a child, I never understood why we had to pay for travel. I remember thinking why on earth do we have to pay, and I thought 50p was bloody expensive. To a child in the 90’s, yeah it is, I could get a load of blackjacks and Freddo’s for 50p but no, I had to spend my 50p pocket money on bloody bus fare.

THE GERMAN MARKET…IN BIRMINGHAM?

There was a time in Birmingham where the German Market only existed in Germany. I have sweet happy memories of holding my mom’s hand walking up to Victoria Square without a rub of a randomer’s arm or an end of a German sausage in my face. Usually every Christmas eve we would head into Birmingham so my Mom and Auntie would do their last-minute Christmas shopping, it was still packed back then but not so much as now. Thank god I never experienced it when I was little, I would have screamed the bloody place down and just pee myself on purpose so I could get out the hell out of there.

SCHOOL TRIPS IN BIRMINGHAM…LETS GO WILD!

From being forced to participate in games of bowling to mimicking puffer fishes at the sea life centre, there was a school trip every couple of months and guaranteed it was in Birmingham. The best thing I looked forward to on school trips was my packed lunch because for some reason my mom would let me choose what I wanted in my lunchbox, only if I was on a school trip. When I was not on a school trip, I was constantly disappointed with squished tuna and mayo sandwiches, a pathetic cheese string, an apple (that I had to get the dinner lady to cut up) and a penguin bar that would always hurt my teeth and told crap jokes. So, school trips were my favourite, It was a time for kids to let loose! One trip I will always remember is watching a music production at Symphony Hall in which me and my friend thought it was funny to make fart noises whenever the trumpets would play…I felt so powerful coming out of Symphony Hall because the teachers were too embarresed to tell me off however that soon changed when I got back to school…Am I first kid to get a detention for making fart noises in Symphony Hall?

TOYS “R” US= LOSE THE PARENTS

You don’t understand how much I would beg my parents if we ever went into town to go into Toys R Us on Dale End, they were always reluctant to take me but who could blame them? as every time I went there one of the workers would have to do a tannoy call out for me, as I would always go missing…on purpose. I would find it hilarious and hide away from them, I was a right sneaky little bugger, but could you blame me? Toys R us was almost like a drug, it sent kids wild! it was like a magical land where every kid wore a smile, and everything was free…unfortunately for my parents.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Hotel stay review

BLOC HOTEL REVIEW-THE JEWELLERY QUARTER

Located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter is a sleek modern hotel with a pinch of neon that oozes Vice City Vibes. Bloc Hotel offers travellers a comfortable nights sleep in Japanese pod inspired rooms that to some might feel it’s a tight squeeze but to others may feel its compact, affordable and convenient. Surrounded by the historical yet animated atmosphere of the Jewellery Quarter, this hotel offers “affordable luxury stays” to the traveller who doesn’t have to go far for necessities.

Arriving at Bloc hotel that is slapped right in the middle of Snow Hill and the Jewellery Quarter train station offering a perfect location for transport links,restaurants, attractions and bars. Once we checked in and showed photo I.D we proceeded to our vista room on the third floor. Upon entering the room the first thing that jumps out at you is the size, it’s a bit on the small side. The second thing that stands out is how spotless the room is, nice clean sheets, fresh towels and not one little squirrel hair in sight. The bathroom (wet room) is also very small equipped with a monsoon shower and the essence of sandlewood.The room offers king-sized beds that are the same width of the room , ambient mood lighting (GTA Vice City vibes), toiletries such as soap, body wash and shampoo, HD TV, climate control system and WIFI. I also had a nice view from the window of the BT tower and some of the offices in Snow Hill. There is not a wardrobe in the room but there is a couple of coat hangers and hooks plus room under the bed to store away your travel bags/suitcases.

Once settled in I decided to look for food and referred to my Around the Bloc guide that’s in the room packed full of information on all the restaurants and bars in the area plus you can get discounts when you stay with Bloc! You dont have to go far to find a place that offers good grub round here, just opposite the Bloc hotel is Otto Wood Fired Pizza and located down the road in Saint Pauls Square is several eaterys and bars that are worth a pop in such as Saint Kitchen, Saint Pauls House and a golden oldie of mine: Actress & Bishop.

After a couple of red wines I headed back to the hotel just in time for bed at 10pm like the right old fart that I am. I had the neon purple “mood” lighting on with the blind open revealing a pretty cosmopolitan view of the thriving Colmore Row business district. The bed was very comfortable, duvet not too heavy and the tempature was just right. My retirement plans to bed soon changed as Ryan Gosling came on my TV screen in Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” so I decided to stay up and dribble. Heading towards midnight there was a couple of “rumpy pumpy” noises in the night from next door but what do you expect the hotel is cheaper than a travelodge and well, we are all human hey? This wouldnt be the first hotel to of seen a bit of action and it certainly wont be the last. After I stopped giggling, I managed to fall asleep and my goodness, what a sleep I had, I woke up like bloody Sleeping Beauty. I suffer with a bit of back pain now and then but I felt like the mattress actually did me some good, for the past 3 years I have woken up with shooting pains in my back so it was amazing to wake up with no pain for once.

Bottled water is included in the rooms however there is no tea and coffee facilities, there is a coffee machine downstairs in the reception area however the downside to this is that you have to pay with cash. As we are leaning more towards going cashless nowadays, this may cause a right itch in the hoohar however there are many local coffee shops by the hotel that can ease the coffee morning jitters but it would of been nice to wake up to coffee in my room.

Checking out was very easy, hand in the hotel key and leave, simples. The staff were very polite and straight away they asked If I enjoyed my stay. A pleasant stay at a hotel I wouldn’t have thought to stay in but I would recommend Bloc as it offers luxurious yet affordable rooms, a great location bursting with lively nightlife, swanky restaurants and buzzing bars plus positive customer service. This hotel may be best suited for people who commute or fancy a budget stay in Brum for the night with prices ranging from £40-£80, you really can’t argue with the price even over a cup of coffee. They also have a range of bigger rooms on availability that I can confirm, do have tea and coffee facilities so its just the vista rooms that don’t provide this.

A comfortable night’s stay in a lovely modern hotel in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter where a room for the night didn’t have to burn a hole in my purse, would I book again? Of course I would, Bloc is an absolute treat for the price.

Please note this was a gifted experience by Bloc Hotel Birmingham, if you wish to use any of my photography please get in touch.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham lifestyle

8 things I discovered in 2019 in Birmingham

2019 was the year of discovery and finally venturing out into the world on my own. It was nice on Sunday to sit back and flick through all my photos from 2019 and seeing the drastic changes through imagery from the start of the year to the end of the year. I have learnt a few things about myself, but I have learned more about the city I live in, Birmingham. There is always going to be something new around the corner of this buzzing city whether it be a new venture, a new role model or a new Cronut. It’s crazy to think years ago I wanted to move out of Birmingham and move to London which would be such a bad move as 

  1. It’s not so much I don’t like people its the fact that I don’t like being surrounded by so many of them…
  2. I hate the tube, everyone’s running in and out of the train like they need the toilet and have chronic diarrhoea
  3. You have to pay every time you use a toilet or you have to pay for tap water…Christ, these are dark times we are living in.

Now I feel Birmingham is my home and I want to finally settle down here and be comfortable. I look forward to another year of discovery in my city but let’s just have a look back at the couple of things I discovered/did in 2019 in Birmingham.

CRONUTS

Our Birmingham bakers have gifted us the gift of the gods and they are called Cronuts. These little minxes come from The Medicine Bakery in the City Centre. They are baked to perfection, they are crispy and packed full of delicious filling that just oozes out creating a sensational mouth orgasm. Apologies for the pornographic chat, but take it from me, they are better than sex. Unfortunately for me, I introduced my mom to them so now every time I am in Birmingham which is 90% of the time I have to visit the Medicine Bakery and buy her a Cronut. I think she feels the same way too…

DIGBETH IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SPOTS IN BIRMINGHAM

last year I found myself going to Digbeth a lot more as I was doing a lot of blogger/model photoshoots in that location. I have found over the year that Digbeth just seems to grow bigger and better each year with more unique venues bursting with creativity and fun for all. Digbeth has become one of my favourite places to photograph, I can photograph kids, families, couples, bloggers and even dogs! The background is unique, its edgy, different and it makes my photos stand out. The place is crawling with not only photographers but videographers, music artists making their music videos, painters/graffiti artists, models and TV/film crews. Whether it’s a quiet sit down with a coffee at Kanteen or a buzzing night out with friends indulging in a variety of cuisines at Digbeth Dining Club, Digbeth caters for all and It’s kicking Shoreditch’s arse, period.

BIRDIES BAR- BLOODY GOOD GRUB AND BEST PLAYLIST IN ALL OF BIRMINGHAM

If you like Pina Coladas and awesome music, frigging delicious street food, palm trees, and well, a free holiday where you don’t have to get on a plane and pay the extra luggage fee, then escape to Birdies in Digbeth. This has become one of my favourite places in Birmingham to go out, day and night, its Birmingham’s very own tropical paradise. A place for all ages to mix and mingle over a cocktail, listen to some banging music ( Fleetwood Mac, Phil Collins, Catfish and the Bottlemen)and pretend they are on holiday for just a couple of hours. Intrigued? I did a review of Birdies back in October on the blog so check it out!

MY VERY FIRST GAY PRIDE

Last year I encountered my very first Gay Pride, it was full of colour, kissing, bondage and DRAG. Watching the parade and the number of people that came out to support and cheer on the people that were taking part was incredible to see. The costumes, the people and the zero fucks given is what I absolutely love about Gay Pride. It’s wild, it’s colourful and its ME! so it’s now become a tradition that I must go to Gay Pride every year with my glitter and my boobs.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY COMMUNITY

Photography credit to Rob Heath Photography and Exquisitevisualz

Last year we saw the photography community grow even bigger in Birmingham, more people entered the photography game last year and it’s great to see so much support for photographers. I see so many Birmingham social accounts like hotels, newspapers & magazines, independents and lifestyle blogs sharing photographers content daily and it offers so much exposure for that photographer. A couple of times last year I was finding my photography everywhere I was clicking on social media, I would see people commenting on my photos and tagging other people which is insane as I remember at the beginning I was so petrified to share my content to anyone! It gives you the push and the confidence we need to continue in this tough industry. I hope this year the photography community continues to grow and help promote our talented photographers.

SNOBS IS NOT SNOBS ANYMORE

2019 was the year I went to Snobs, god, it hurts so bad to call this place “Snobs” because it’s not the shithole we used to know. Snobs never played pop music, it wasn’t full of 10-year-olds and it was never snobby, the staff can clearly see you are not 10 years old so you just get a load of weird glares behind the bar. Snobs was the place where our parents would get engaged, it was acceptable to be a sweaty mess and we would have to get friends to unstick our feet from the floor. Ah sweet memories, RIP Snobs, there will never be anyone like you again

DATING IN BIRMINGHAM

So last year I was thrown into the world of dick pics, ghosting and “This is my friends” dog pics, an uncomfortable combination but that’s ONLINE dating for you. I can’t remember the last time I dated so, of course, I didn’t know what to expect. It could be a nice casual date at Yo Sushi or a date where I end up blindfolded in the back of a boot of a Ford KA (That’s my mothers warning words) but I did it. I tried dating and even though I did it when I didn’t feel ready to do so, I have no regrets. I enjoyed my dating experience of 2019, it helped to build my confidence, I got to meet a variety of characters, I went to many new places and I saw a lot of things [please insert dick jokes here]

INDEPENDENT SHOPPING

Don’t you just hate it when you see a blouse you like in a high street store like Topshop for £35 and you go into an independent or a charity shop and find something that is exactly the same or even better quality for less than half of the price? This is the ultimate tit twitcher. So last year I stopped shopping at the High street big brands and started to shop at independent shops. I found so many beautiful independent shops not just in Birmingham but around the Midlands that I can buy clothes, accessories and gifts for family & friends. I just feel the high street is pulling the wool over us shoppers eyes a lot in regards to prices and I am sick to death of wasting £100 on just 3 items! so last year I managed to save myself a lot of money (est of £600) from just boycotting the high street and giving my money to the independents that need and DESERVE it more. We all know that it ends up on eBay or the charity shops after two months of it being in the shop anyway…

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham review

FESTIVE AFTERNOON TEA AT THE EDGBASTON HOTEL IN BIRMINGHAM

The Edgbaston is known to many for its alluring art deco interior oozing that 1920s class, unique but oh so fulfilling cocktails and its vintage showstopper afternoon tea. The Edgbaston is highly recommended by all especially at Christmas which for many is like stepping into a Charles Dickens novel, think A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist with just a pinch of Tim Burton. Antique chandeliers, grand Christmas trees and delicate 1920s art deco tea sets, An afternoon tea here is not just fulfilling your taste buds but it’s also giving you the classic 1920s experience for the whole family to enjoy.

You can’t miss The Edgbaston especially at Christmas time draped in a red bow, a showstopper for all passers-by to grab their phones and take a snap. Beautiful on the outside and of course, in the inside. Soon as you go through the doors your experience begins with beautifully decorated interior and staff that are there to greet you straight away and make you feel at home. We arrived 40 minutes early however we were told we could sit down straight away at our table. Our afternoon tea took place in the lounge which just oozed that classic vintage attire, from mix match art deco sets to a grand 1920s bar that is quite simply spectacular. We were sat at a table which was quite small for 5 people, one person would have to be shoved at the end however this was noticed by our waiter and he offered a bigger table for us all.

The time had arrived, and we were brought out menus and asked what afternoon tea we wanted to have. We all opted for the Juliet sparking rose afternoon tea which also came with a hot drink that priced at £35.00. The rose was served first, sweet and bubbly nothing to complain about at all, it was a nice refresher to start us all off. Of course, the famous dry ice spectacular experience was next displaying a couple of cheesecake puddings to ease us in before the main event. A showstopper, of course, you can see all heads turning to your table and all phones leap out of everyone’s pockets to film because it is quite simply, dazzling to watch. The cheesecakes were a nice touch, not too sweet but very favourable and was a nice touch.

The afternoon tea arrived showcasing a variety of sandwiches and desserts, from turkey and cranberry mini baguettes to cheese and chutney crackers, and egg and cress brioche rolls, however, my brioche roll was simply missing the filling. This was rectified and a new brioche roll with filling came out within a minute. The deserts are small yet satisfying, jam-packed with a variety of flavours from raspberry, passion fruit, lemon and caramel. All flavours that pack a powerful punch to your sweet tooth. Soon as the sandwiches and desserts were gobbled down, The tea was served with the Scones and mince pies next. It would have been nice for the tea to be served with the afternoon tea sandwiches however this maybe because we didn’t mention anything and we could have had the option. A very generous pot of tea that gave me 3/4 cups of tea and our waiter also mentioned if we want any more to just ask. The scones were just the right texture and size, not like some mutilated scones you see in some places, I found they were also not that heavy on the stomach so I could eat a scone at peace and not be struggling for breath to fit it in my gob. A variety of sized mince pies that were same as the scones not too heavy and very delicious.

The staff are very knowledgeable, before tucking in our waiter who was very lovely explained to us what everything on the afternoon tea stand was, what was in it, what flavours, what would taste best with what drinks. I honestly don’t know how they remember everything, but it was very impressive. The staff add to the experience here, high-class service at its best, they are so attentive and really will go out there way to help customers out.

In conclusion, The Edgbaston is a stunning experience for all to experience at any time throughout the year not just at the festive season. A no brainer to sugar lovers however to non-sugar lovers you may be left craving a bit more savoury after the experience has finished. That is the only negative I would say, there are not enough sandwiches but that tiny negative is overshadowed by so much positivity as we all had a lovely afternoon and really enjoyed it at The Edgbaston.

The Edgbaston is an experience you will find nowhere else, The food, the service, and the staff is second class to none. It truly is a high class independent that will always have a sparkling future ahead in Birmingham.

AMY ELIZA