OUT IN BRUM

Birmingham Pride 2023

Posted on June 11, 2023 by outinbrum

A decade ago I first wrote about Birmingham Pride – 2013 just as parliament had voted for equal same-sex marriage. My notes for 2014 are missing, but in 2015 we celebrated Pride as the Irish passed their own equal marriage act. In 2016 our LGBTQ+ community was reeling from the tragic murders of 49 people in an Orlando mass shooting. In 2017 Pride took place while Chechen gay men were being hunted down and purged and just a week after the murders at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. The year after seemed upbeat, but then 2019 saw the troubles in Birmingham where homophobic activists held sustained protests against a city school’s “No Outsiders” programme.

And then hello Covid, keeping our Birmingham Pride protests and celebrations off our streets for eight hundred and fifty-two days, though we did manage a digital lockdown edition on Zoom. Weekends moved from May to September for 2021 and 2022 owing in part to Covid, and in part to the Commonwealth Games taking over which I know everyone found to be an enormous uplifting success for the city, and finally now Pride is back in its rightful spot as the first of the year in the UK over the late May bank holiday weekend. This year I hope that Pride raised the profile of the struggle that the Trans community face; I’m sure we’ll look back on 2023 as being a shameful year of hatred towards this most marginalised of groups by the most powerful in our society.

The weather did not disappoint with its inability to make up its mind, being in turn beautifully sunny and warm for the Saturday, and turning hypothermia-inducing freezing Sunday evening; props to the guy who on Saturday was selling T-Shirts on the main stage festival site but who by Sunday lunchtime had changed all his stock to hoodies, one of which I purchased to stave off the frostbite.

You can read my write-ups and see selected photos from Pride on this listing here.

What a joy it is to attend over the Pride weekend and meet with literally dozens of acquaintances and friends either in the LGBTQ+ community or allies of it. The parade drew an enormous crowd once again and included dozens of community groups, venues from the gay village, and corporate sponsors. I can reflect that a decade ago there was little to the LGBTQ+ community groups but now they are flourishing and include Midlands Out Badminton, Swifts Running, Bulls Rugby, Blaze Football, Unicorns Cricket, Out & About social group, Outdoor Lads, and stalwarts Moseley Shoals Swimming & Water Polo. Plus all of the local chapters of the kinkier side of the community including Leathermen and Pups; it simply wouldn’t be Pride without them.

As always the stages were packed with cabaret favourites and the up and coming. We always love seeing Lola Lasagne, Marty who STILL likes to party even without the drag element that has now been set aside, and Sandra. More recent additions to the local scene include the edgy comedy of Fatt Butcher – always such an exhilarating Rush 😉 and Mary Mac who we’ve seen several times now at Eden and who never fails to get the crowd dancing.

Headlining this year were the Sugababes on Saturday, but we missed them – our friends recounted an outstanding set with many “oh I forgot they did this” moments. Particular highlights for me included Gabrielle whose vocals never fail to impress and Gustaph, this year’s Belgian Eurovision act who is a real crowd pleasing pro on stage, and of course Bewitched were great craic. We also loved seeing the very animated British Sign Language interpreters who worked so hard all weekend to make the festival accessible.

Thanks to the organisers, acts, security, bar staff, wheel marshals, parade marchers, sponsors, and everyone who makes this such a smashing event! And now some photos…

Posted in Article, Special Event | Tagged Birmingham Pride, out in brum, pride 2023, Where To Go In Birmingham | Leave a comment

Hengata

Posted on March 21, 2023 by outinbrum

Some weeks ago in dreary January (so yes I’m aware this is overdue, I’ve been busy) we booked in with friends for a wintry Saturday dinner at Hengata. Opening in 2021 the restaurant menu originally felt a bit Scandi, but appears now to be worldwide modern cuisine.

Sweetcorn fritter on plate topped with carrot ribbons

The restaurant is located in The Schoolyard development just off Harborne High Street, a beautiful redbrick Victorian schoolhouse which now houses a few hospitality businesses that seem to vary in terms of performance – BTP café is still extremely popular, but neighbours Prezzo closed, then Holy Moly Macaroni opened and closed within a year, and cocktail bar Drunken Tiger seemed to open/close/open/close but now appears to have gone permanently.

Golden lamb croquette and lamb cutlet with butternut squash puree on plate

The dining room is airy and simple with the high vaulted ceilings, and a completely open kitchen. There’s no bar so we were straight to our table for aperitif cocktails; I can recommend the Blood Orange Negroni (£8) and the Women’s Washed Espresso Martini (£7.75) though we didn’t get to the bottom of its name. Over dinner we had carafes of red, white, and rosé wine and found them to be great value with something to suit every budget, though it was a bit slow to get.

Pink cooked venison with dark glossy sauce and leek fondant

For my starter I chose the Corn and Lentil Fritters with green chutney, chilli, and coriander yoghurt and pickles (£7.75). The fritters were crispy and sweet and the yoghurt provided sharp relief. The chutney was punchy but I’d have liked more of it than the smear provided.

Supreme of chicken with sauce on rice on plate

For mains I had the rump of venison (£26.95) which was served perfectly pink, with leek fondant and cauliflower puree. The venison was flavoursome and its accompanying sauce had a good depth of flavour with a tiny hint of Eastern spice, an unusual and tasty touch. The garlic and ginger chicken (£20.95) had good flavour but had homestyle presentation, rather than a delicate restaurant look.

Red wine poached pear on pineapple slice with ice cream plated

For deserts the cinnamon red wine poached pear (£9.70) with caramelized pineapple and coconut ice cream provided a refreshing end, while the chocolate fondant (£9.95) was a gooey comforting delight.

Gooey chocolate fondant with ice cream plated

I’d recommend the restaurant for a catch up with friends or for a romantic meal for two, it’s perfect to chat, and while it has its imperfections the food is hearty and the place is charming.

https://hengata.com/

Posted in Area: Harborne, Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Cuisine: Modern Mixed, Price: Average, Venue type: Restaurant | Tagged Birmingham Restaurant, birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Out In Birmingham, out in brum, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | Leave a comment

New Year’s Eve Spanish Feast

Posted on January 1, 2023 by outinbrum

Spanish Deli Board with Jamon Iberico, Cured Chorizo,
Manchego, Tetilla Cheese, Besos Cheese, Membrillo, Olives, Bread Sticks. Valencia Almonds.

We’ve had the great privilege for New Year’s Eve to spend a few nights with some friends at the fantastic Heron House in Newquay, and were lucky to be able to have NYE itself catered by Emma and Heber at Rodriguez Events, and what an absolute Spanish feast it has been!

Delivered to us on NYE eve (the 30th) everything was ready to reheat in tinfoil dishes with easy to follow reheat instructions. We grazed over six hours, starting our evening with cava and a deli board including jamon Iberico, cured chorizo, manchego, tetilla cheese, besos cheese, olives, crisp breads, stuffed vine leaves, and Valencia almonds.

We warmed through cloud-like focaccia with garlic, rosemary and olives, and ate it with some juicy and light lamb and pine nut albondigas (meatballs) in a tasty tomato sauce, crispy croquettes filled with an oozing chorizo béchamel, plus king prawns with white wine and paprika.

Next up was a beautifully seasoned tortilla with basil and red peppers, and sweet piquillo peppers stuffed with herby cream cheese and pine nuts.

All of the food was washed down with Cava and other spanish wines, but despite our advancing tipsiness it was still very easy to follow the instructions to heat and plate up lovely looking dishes. We had a good hour or so break at around 9pm then cracked on with the ‘Cod a la Valenciana’ – generous cod fillets with a tomato, sherry and herb sauce.

cod fillet in tomato sauce in a tinfoil tray awaiting the oven

After the fish it was approaching 11pm and we decided we couldn’t squeeze any more savoury food in so prepared the gooey delightful hot chocolate fondant with Pedro Ximenez ice cream. Cooked from frozen the individual fondants were practically volcanic and the Pedro Ximenez ice cream was a perfect accompaniment tasting like Christmas.

Classic Hot Chocolate Fondant, Pedro Ximenez Ice-Cream

I write this on new year’s day evening, having eaten the rest of the feast today to cure the hangover including ‘Flamenquin de Pollo’ – tenderised chicken breast rolled and stuffed with Serrano ham, Manchego cheese and crispy crumbed, with a creamy mushroom sauce. We also ate piquillo peppers stuffed with chicken paella rice, patatas bravas with a punchy aioli, and a healthy green spinach and smoked cheese tortilla with a melting middle.

You can contact Rodriguez Events on Facebook here to get a quote for catering an event – they do anything from small parties to weddings and I can’t say enough how delicious the food has been.

An excellent way to see out the old year and to bring in the new!

Patatas bravas with aioli and romesco sauce

Slices of rolled chicken with ham in creamy mushroom sauce

Posted in Cuisine: Spanish, Price: Average | Tagged birmingham catering, spanish food | Leave a comment

Birmingham Pride 2022

Posted on January 1, 2023 by outinbrum

Owing to Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games monopolising the city’s attention for six months (and what a fantastic Games time it was!) Pride 2022 took place in September as it had the prior year, instead of its usual May slot. Unlike the prior year, it was quite chilly. Nonetheless our LGBTQ+ community and its allies put its best stiletto heeled foot forward for a fun-packed weekend across the gay village and the festival site, Smithfields.

It’s been difficult couple of years for the LGBTQ+ community with attacks continuing apace globally, and in particular our Trans community have suffered at the hands of right wing mouths on legs, translating to an increase in hate crime. At Pride, well-known drag queen Fat Butcher talked to us about TERFs performatively tearing up the new and inclusive Progress Pride Flag, and that the flag has changed over the years for reasons of pragmatism and politics, she said: “You may try to cut the stripes from our flags but you’ll never cut them from our community … bringing together all our colours we fight together … and celebrate each other on our own terms”.

A minute’s silence was held for those who had been lost over the last year including Roma drag queen Cherry Valentine, who had competed on Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and Birmingham gay scene legend Carlos Medina, a circus star who’d performed in front of camp icons such as Barbara Cartland.

The line up of acts over the weekend was spectacular and culminated with a Sunday night double billing of superstars Mel C, and Steps. Both put on a brilliant entertaining show, which could be heard as far away as Solihull apparently (LOLs!).

Birmingham Pride 2023 will move back to its normal slot, the late May bank holiday weekend, 27th to 28th May 2023. With the continuing development in the gay village and its surrounds it’s likely that Pride will not be able to be held in the city centre over coming years – the Smithfield site development is now planned to have a smaller festival area than was first promised so the festival may have to relocate to somewhere like Cannon Hill park.

Thanks to all of the amazing acts, and the organisers who put on a spectacularly entertaining weekend.

And now a few photos…

Mary Mack performing in feathery frock on stage

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birmingham gay, birmingham lgbtq+, Birmingham Pride, Out In Birmingham, out in brum | Leave a comment

Birmingham Pride 2021

Posted on October 17, 2021 by outinbrum

Eight hundred and fifty-two days after Pride 2019 packed up its feathers, leather, sequins, wigs, and bunting, Birmingham Pride 2021 launched its biggest ever event across three days, from Friday 24^th to Sunday 26^thSeptember. Its timing this year of course forced back due to Covid restrictions from its usual slot of the late May bank holiday weekend meaning that revellers, myself included, didn’t have a day of recovery before heading back to the office, be it home or otherwise. This year also saw a change of event venue, with much of the event taking place on around fifteen acres of the Smithfields site earmarked for redevelopment after the move and demolition of the wholesale markets. Of course the event also stretched over the gay village, around thirty acres in total.

Next year’s event is sticking with this new timeslot and making use of the same site once it frees up from the Commonwealth Games which is taking over the area until August. Who knows where it will end up after that now that most of the space in the gay village area and surrounds, including Smithfields, is turned over to the development of even more city centre apartment buildings.

Because of the ample space provided by the new site the organisers were able to install an enormous stage, an even more enormous covered shelter with hundreds of picnic tables, and dozens of food and drink offerings. Food at Pride usually isn’t something to write home about but here they’d gone all out with a variety of offerings from the humble burger, fish and chips, and pizza to more elaborate raclette, and smoked meat trucks (including our friends at That Smoke Truck). Of course there were queues for the bars at the peakiest peak times but it felt genuinely like no one really cared as they soaked up the atmosphere and tunes and chatted with the others queuing.

The event kicked-off early with free community events on the Thursday with a screening of Mamma Mia on the main stage and Friday night featuring community LGBTQ+ choir Rainbow Voices, speeches by activists Andrew Moffat, Khekan Qureshi, Jill Nalder, and Peter Tatchell, and Pride regular drag queens Sandra London, Yshee Black, and many more.

Of course the real kick start to the event was the Pride Parade which left at noon on the Saturday from Victoria Square as usual. For the first time an accessible route was devised for those wishing to march who for various reasons couldn’t manage the lengthy route over uneven roads.

The parade included dozens of national and local charities and businesses. We loved the “Sassy Ferguson” tractor provided by Massey Ferguson, Agrespect, and Farmers Weekly, for “Out on the Farm” a new LGBTQ+ group. The city’s corporates were out en masse including The Alliance Network which brings together various firms’ LGBTQ+ groups, and individual firms such as PwC, DLA Piper, Gowling WLG, Wesleyan, Legal & General, HS2, Murphy, Greene King, Paragon, and Colmore Business District.

The region’s gay sports groups and supporters were kitted up including The Birmingham Swifts running club, Birmingham Bulls RFC, Birmingham Blaze FC, Coventry Corsairs RFC, Villa & Proud, and the organisation Football vs. Homophobia. Additionally Commonwealth Games 2022 Pride House were in attendance starting their run-in to next year’s Birmingham games where they’ll provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ athletes and supporters. Other community attendees included Out and About Midlands, InteGreat Theatre, Birmingham Fetish Men, Naz & Matt Foundation, several groups supporting specific ethnicities and People of Colour such as Persian LGBT, Journey Group, and Unmuted. And we can’t forget that Someone at the Door Samba bandled the parade noisily through the city’s streets as always!

There were many floats and walking groups from the gay villages’ watering holes including a reprise from extremely popular Eden Bar which is in physicality closed (though they managed to have a big presence at Pride, testament to the community support they have). Other venues in the parade included Glamorous, The Village, Nightingale, Sidewalk, The Fox.

There were so many wonderful acts across the six stages I can only do a great disservice by highlighting some we managed to catch and who we thought were stand out. Sadly Cheryl had to cancel due to a bereavement, but Sophie Ellis-Bextor went down a storm. We loved Lola Lasagna on the cabaret stage, and Black Box did an excellent set on Sunday afternoon on the main stage.

After so much time where our socialising has been limited it was simply a great joy to be able to share music and food, laughter and beer, with so many of our friends, old and new. Thanks to them all, and to the organisers for doing an excellent job.

And now, as is custom and practice, the photos……

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birmingham Pride, Out In Birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham | Leave a comment

In A Box 3 – “Chernobyl – Hidden Depths”

Posted on October 12, 2021 by outinbrum

You know it’s not real.

Seconds ago that grating underneath your feet, showing an elevator shaft disappearing into the earth farther than you can see, was the grey floor of a converted factory in rejuvinated Digbeth. But then the VR headset that’s been strapped onto you gets switched on and you look down.

You know it’s not real.

But it doesn’t matter, that wave of vertigo still kicks in, sending your stomach to your throat as you start to plummet towards the bottom. The rumbling you can feel is coming from powerful subwoofers, but your brain is still fighting against its instincts to fly or fight, throwing an abundance of adrenaline into your system.

You know it’s not real.

And therein lies the brilliance of In a Box 3; its ability to suspend your disbelief just enough that it immerses you completely in the world around you. On what was about the seventh or eighth time I caught myself trying to step over a gap that wasn’t there, or to move around debris which didn’t exist, I had to stop for about a minute while I laughed and swore to myself in equal measure.

Presenting itself as a VR Experience, In a Box 3 is essentially a technologically advanced Escape Room, inviting players to travel back to the Chernobyl Disaster. On a mission for the mysterious UMBRA Partnership, it’s your job, in teams of two to four players, to complete the puzzles placed before you, working your way through the stricken station, collecting valuable datapads along the way.

VR technology has jumped forward leaps and bounds in the past few years and this is such a wonderful showcase for it. The world around you is transformed into a disaster zone. Structures fall around you, fires roar from all sides (with you feeling the heat thanks to the implementation of 4D technology), and the impending danger is ever present in everything you see.

Showcasing an impressive understanding of how to harness the technology on hand, the utitlisation of story, something more difficult to achieve in a classic Escape Room, is very well handled. With a continuing presence in the form of your mission director and a story which evolves with what you see happening around you, it takes on the feel of a very well made video game, just one that you’ve been dropped physically into the middle of.

It would have been easy to misjudge the script or performance. Something too serious and it wouldn’t mesh well with the fun you’re supposed to be having. Something too camp and it runs the risk of taking away that edge of tenson of which it seemed to rely on to be most effective. As it is, they walk the line between the two very well, helping to creative a particularly Hollywood spectacle sensation. If there is criticism to be made, they’re mostly centred on the difficulty of the puzzles. With no set time limit (if teams are struggling hints are relayed to a virtual communicator you keep on your left wrist) it means the puzzles have to be kept simple enough to keep people moving through the game. I experienced this as part of a team of two and we found the solution of the majority of the puzzles pretty quickly; most of the time spent was on us working through the mechanics of VR.

With that in mind, to get the most out of In a Box 3, where possible I’d suggest teams of four. The added complications of more players, moving round each other, exploring each room to the fullest, would be best enjoyed by a larger group. Not only will the practical application of of the puzzles mean more time is taken, trust me when I say you want to see as many of your friends as biohazard suit laden scientists as you possibly can.

Covered in striking art inside and out – with one wall outside a love letter to the outstanding Cuphead, a well stocked bar, attentive and friendly staff, and a fantastically fun experience which wears its Hollywood and gaming influences on it sleeve, In a Box 3 comes highly recommended.

You can book your visit to In A Box 3 now via their website: https://www.inabox3.co.uk and also follow them on all the usual social media platforms

Article by guest writer John-Paul Kesseler who took on the challenge for us.

Our visit was provided free of charge as part of a preview week by The Relationship, however all views are our own. You can read our reciprocity promise here: https://outinbrum.com/reciprocity-promise/

Posted in Area: Digbeth, birmingham review, Uncategorized, Venue type: Entertainment | 1 Comment

Tropea

Posted on October 2, 2021 by outinbrum

Thrilled to see that the great and the good were raving about a new restaurant just a five minute walk from our front door, we booked our anniversary dinner at Tropea, now some weeks ago. While we’d seen the chef and maître d’ proprietors were Kasia and Ben respectively, we hadn’t twigged it was Ben who we’d known at Harborne Kitchen and who had told me that he had ambitions to open his own restaurant. How lucky we are that this was not just a pipe dream, and that he and his girlfriend were able to find such a well-positioned property, just beyond the High Street of leafy Harborne.

They’ve renovated the former Boo Boo Coffee site into a grown-up dining room, and Ben’s interior design skills have been proven as impressive as Kasia’s cookery. It’s an intimate and trendy space equally perfect for a food-sharing dinner with friends, or for a romantic celebration.

We started with an aperitif Paper Plane cocktail (£10) with Salumi & Pickles (£6) and focaccia (£3.5). The Salumi (cured meats) included speck, copa, and spianata chorizo which was a particular favourite, and the pickles were crunchy and sharp. The focaccia, made in-house of course, was spongy and salty with a delicious rosemary punch. We were keen to try the fried courgette flower with goat’s cheese, mint, and Harborne honey, but it was already sold out – hopefully we’ll try it on an inevitable future trip.

Salumi cured meats with picked cauliflower and foccacia with olive oil

For the Italian-initiated you’ll know that typically dinner courses run in an intricate order of aperitif, starter, pasta course, meat course plus salad and side dishes, then desserts and digestifs. It’s a drawn out relaxing affair taking several hours. So next up after starters we had two pasta dishes.

Enormous ravioli were filled with ricotta, lemon, pistachio pesto, and herbs (£11), and the pasta (obviously made in house) was perfectly al dente. Fillings were generous and subtly balanced without the lemon overtaking as it so often does. Our other pasta was a special and while I took photos I failed to take notes – I recall it was beefy delicious but can’t recall much else!

Plated octopus tentacles with fried potato cubes, black olives, lemon and mayonnaise

Our main dish of octopus was my favourite of the evening, served with fried potato cubes, black olive, and saffron aioli (£14). It was salty and sweet, a little charred, and perfect with the richness of the mayonnaise. Octopus can sometimes be a little too pungent, but this had a good glug of the sea without overwhelming the other flavours.

The octopus dish paired well with the Gavi di Gavi (£39). The wine list is small but curated and, excluding fizz, ranges £24 to £58 a bottle. Bottled beers and cider, and selected cocktails and spirits also available, of course.

Golden crispy polenta cake with beef and charred shallot

Ox cheek (£13) was glossy and rich, heady with umami and well-seasoned. Its softness was relieved by the crispy golden polenta cake. Slices of pickled walnut offered extra complexity and a charred shallot completed the dish.

We finished up with a not-too-sweet Tiramisu (£7), brought-in from the well-reviewed @TuttoAposto. And then, seeing as it was our anniversary, we had a bottle of Nyetimber (sponsored by the bad idea bears).

During the day Tropea is opening as a café serving lighter food such as focaccia sandwiches (how about N’duja, Provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, & rocket for a lunchtime snack?) and Piadina (like Italian quesadillas). They serve Hundred House coffee, and have a great looking list of sweets and cakes, and of course they’re licensed so the yummy mummies and dishy daddies of Harborne can have a beer or wine even with lunch.

While we had quite an elaborate dinner for around £60 a head (excluding fizz) it can easily be an affordable evening out, and we’re thrilled that it’s on the doorstep.

Well done to Ben, Kasia, and team.

More info available on their website here:

https://www.tropea.uk

Pink cocktail with a paper aeroplane perched on the glass

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birmingham restaurant review, birmingham review, Out In Birmingham, where to eat in birmingham, Where To Go In Birmingham, where to go out in birmingham | Leave a comment

Heat-at-Home Restaurant Meal Kits

Posted on February 20, 2021 by outinbrum

With national and local lockdowns and various tier restrictions over the past 12 months, many of us have been enjoying fantastic takeaways and heat-at-home meals to recreate that joy of restaurant food in the safety and comfort of our own homes.

There have already been a few great articles highlighting some of the fantastic kits and deliveries from Birmingham and its surrounding area’s independent food scene, (one of the best being from Laura at Bite Your Brum here: http://biteyourbrum.com/ramblings/at-home-food-and-drink-kits-in-birmingham/ ).

We have found ourselves also wanting to experience some places we either miss going to, or would have enjoyed traveling to from further afield. To that end we’ve had heat at home kits delivered from far and wide and are considering what to have next!

Here’s a list of places still on our not-so-short shortlist.

Restaurants offering National Delivery Heat-at-Home Meal Boxes and Kits

Lisa Goodwin-Allen at Northcote

This is an opportunity to experience beautiful gourmet menus by Lisa Goodwin-Allen in the comfort of your own home.

Northcote’s freshly-prepared gourmet menus are hand-crafted by Lisa and a small brigade in Northcote’s kitchen each week using the finest seasonal ingredients. Their dining boxes are prepared and packaged for you to finish at home.

Demand is high and it’s best to sign up to their emails to be notified when boxes are released.

https://www.northcote.com/at-home/gourmet-boxes/

Hame by Adam Handling

Adam and his team put their heads together and created ‘Hame’ – the Scottish word for home – to offer a taste of his restaurant experience from the comfort of your own house.

You can also opt for one of their classic cocktails and matching wines to complete the perfect home dining experience.

https://www.adamhandling.co.uk/hame/#

Made in Oldstead Food Boxes by Tommy Banks

Image result for food boxes by tommy ban banks

Made In Oldstead is a premium, at-home dining experience from Tommy Banks and the team, offering three and five-course menus for delivery across the UK. The weekly food boxes go on sale every Wednesday for delivery the following Friday

https://tommybanks.co.uk/product-category/foodbox/

Simon Rogan at home

Offering weekly three course heat-at-home dining experiences, in addition to special seasonal celebration menus, cooked for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

A great range of extras, such as British cheese and bespoke wine pairings, can also be added to the order. At home, follow simple step-by-step videos demonstrating how to prepare the dishes.

Numbers are limited each week, so we recommend you pre-order as far in advance as possible.

https://simonroganathome.co.uk/home

Adam Reid – The French

Modern British cooking with a north west accent from Mancunian chef Adam Reid, two time winner of Tv’s Great British Menu and holder of 4 AA rosettes.

https://adam-reid.co.uk/shop/

The Wild Rabbit

Head Chef Nathan and his team, have crafted a delicious three course menu, celebrating some of their most popular seasonal dishes, expertly prepared to be finished and enjoyed at home.

https://thewildrabbit.co.uk/at-home/

Rick Stein – Stein’s at Home

Three course meals for two ready for you to simply finish at home. Delivery UK wide. A range of menu boxes with classic restaurant dishes covering both fish and meat options for you to enjoy at home. Recommended wines available to add to your order.

https://shop.rickstein.com/collections/steins-at-home-food-boxes

Peel’s on Wheels – By Michelin starred Peels at Hampton Manor.

If you had a Michelin starred chef at your disposal, what would you want? POW! Peels do the hard work to make your dinner magic. Foodie meals delivered to your door with wine options to enjoy.

Image result for peels on wheels

https://peelstothepeople.co.uk

Aktar @ Home – By Aktar Islam

Aktar’s mission is to allow you to enjoy exceptional home cooking by a Michelin-starred chef in the comfort of your own home with a choice of Indian traditional curries or a classic British Sunday roast. As simple as that!

Image result for aktar at home You can also now sample a selection of the world class ingredients with the new Meat Box– offering premium dry aged steaks and a selection of traditional Argentinian sides to cook at home.

https://aktarathome.co.uk

Andy Low n Slow

A varying and exciting menu from Andy. Texas Inspired BBQ and Modern Mexican cooking using Native Breed Meat & Seasonal Produce. Digbeth Dining Club since 2013, Meatopia since 2017, Independent Birmingham Best Street Food Trader 2019, Twice YBF’s Finalist

Image result for andy low n slow meal kit

https://andylownslow.co.uk

Norma feasting boxes

Enjoy delicious feasting style dishes from Norma, in the comfort of your own home. Using the finest seasonal ingredients.

https://normalondon.com/norma-feasting-boxes/

Cafe Murano – Angela Hartnet

Every month Angela designs a sophisticatedly simple menu of classic Italian dishes for our Cafe Murano at home menu box. The boxes offer 4 courses of Cafe Murano classic dishes delivered nationwide every Friday

Image result for cafe murano at home

https://www.cafemurano.co.uk/delivery-and-takeaway/

D&D at home

D&D have curated a selection of At Home kits so you can enjoy the taste of Bluebird, Sartoria, German Gymnasium, Orrey, Radici and Butler’s Wharf Chop House in the comfort of your own home.

Image result for D&D at home

https://at-home.danddlondon.com/meal-kits/

Lake District Farmers

Lake District Farmers was founded in 2009 by the late Ray Armstrong to facilitate a quality driven and sustainable supply chain for family run fell farms in The Lake District. Now offering meal boxes from Jason Atherton / Marcus Wareing and others from time to time alongside some great fresh produce

Image result for lake district farmers at home

https://www.lakedistrictfarmers.co.uk/boxes

Atul Kochhar – Kaniska at Home

Kanishka Mayfair is now offering Michelin Starred Chef Atul Kochhar’s signature cooking to deliver or takeaway.

Image result for kanishka at home

https://kanishkarestaurant.co.uk

Tapas Fusion

Chef Mark Prescott of The Roux Brothers brings his contemporary Fusion Tapas to your home. Expertly cooked and delivered every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

https://tapasfusion.com

PACO Tapas

Why not experience Bristol’s Michelin starred PACO’s Chef’s Menu at home. A selection of their best tapas dishes to be finished at home with comprehensive instructions to guide you through the cooking. The boxes can be picked up from the restaurant or delivered to your door. Available Wednesday to Saturday.

Image result for paco tapas

https://www.pacotapas.co.uk/takeaway-and-home-boxes

Hickory’s Smokehouse

Hickory’s pitmasters have created a Hickory’s At Home menu packed with their favourite smokehouse dishes, all smoked low ‘n’ slow in their Ole Hickory smokers, then chilled & packed ready for you to heat & eat at home.

Image result for hickory's at home

https://hickorysathome.co.uk

RestoKit

A platform bringing together a number of restaurants offering their own specially created meal kits to be finished to enjoy at home.

https://www.restokit.co.uk

Finish & Feast inc Tom Aitkins, Thomas Frake (Masterchef champion 2020), Marianne Lumb (AMEX London Restaurant Festival Chef of the Year)

https://finishandfeast.com

10 Greek St

Winter Duck Pie

https://dishpatch.co.uk/feasts/winter-duck-pie?utm_source=restaurant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=10GSDuck

Dishpatch

A platform for a number of restaurants

https://dishpatch.co.uk/menu

Tacos Padre

Padre is a taqueria in Borough Market serving tacos and Mexican small plates alongside margaritas and mezcal, now offering kits for you to recreate their favourite dished at home

https://www.tacospadre.com/onlineshop

OXO Tower by Harvey Nichols

Newly launched for 2021 the team at OXO have created the ultimate ‘at home’ experience to bring enjoyment to those winter evenings. They’ve put together an a la carte menu of OXO’s favourites, complete with a simple guide on how to prepare your banquet. Delivered nationally or available for collection here at the restaurant.

https://oxotowershop.slerp.com/order/store/oxo-tower-oxo-tower-restaurant

& Home by James Knappett

& Home by James Knappett is the first at-home fine dining experience from James Knappett, bringing a celebration of fine dining and a taste of his two Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen Table to your own home.

Image result for home by james knappett

https://jamesknappett.com

Dishoom Bacon Naan Kit

The much-loved breakfast dish, now available as an ‘at-home’ cookery kit, complete with all the ingredients (and the know-how) to create Bacon Naan Rolls in your own kitchen at any time of day. This kit contains everything required to enjoy two Naan Rolls, plus an extra naan dough ball for experimentation. With Chai spices and loose-leaf tea to make delicious Dishoom chai for two.

Bacon Naan Roll on a plate

https://store.dishoom.com/bacon-naan-roll-kit

Finish at Home by Jose Pizarro (Tapas)

José believes that tapas is for all, and that home cooks don’t have to be scared off by the idea of cooking lots of dishes – it’s all in the prep & keeping it simple. Now you can enjoy the food based on his philosophy at home.

https://josepizarro.com/finish-at-home/

Lyle’s of London

The aim with these meal kits is to bring the philosophy and values of Lyle’s to your home. Sourced from farmers and producers who follow ethical and sustainable practices, Lyle’s buy what is best in any given season. Not wasting any byproducts, they find ways to incorporate them back into the food. They value a simple and clean aesthetic, but the time, work and technique that goes into these ingredients is anything but simple.

Load image into Gallery viewer, Lyle's Menu Box (Serves 2)

https://lylesprovisions.com

Home by Nico

Delivered direct to your door, HOME-X is more than just a box. With access to restaurant quality chefs, delivering ready-to-plate dishes, with menus to be enjoyed by all, a wine club for you to host your own tastings every month, the perfect Sunday roast and so many more.

Image result for home by nico

https://home-x.com

Lima London

Bringing innovative flavours from Peru to London since 2012, LIMA offers a unique dining experience. Menus are naturally vibrant with flavour and colour, celebrating the best of Peru’s world-renowned Andean delicacies, fresh ceviches, healthy superfoods and nikkei flavours.

Image result for Lima london at home

https://limabox.slerp.com/order/store/lima-box-lima-london

Ynyshir – Gareth Ward

Offering wines, merchandise and meal kits for special occasions

https://siop-ynyshir.myshopify.com

And a few of the highlights of options for Birmingham and surrounding area:

Purnell’s

You’ll need to follow Glynn on social media for menus and details of how to order (@yummy-brummie)

Image result for purnells at home meal box

Ox & Origin

Local to Birmingham and Central London only. Weekly menus etc via their Instagram

https://instagram.com/oxandorigin?igshid=e67epvplvgqd

Emma’s Delicatessen

For changing menus of fab food to collect in Telford area and deliveries to Telford and Birmingham

May be an image of souvlakia

https://m.facebook.com/emmasdelicatessenfood/

OPUS to You

Probably our favourite we’ve had so far and usually our go-to option to check out the current menu.

Image result for opus to you Collection from restaurant and local deliveries only

https://www.opusrestaurant.co.uk/opus-to-you/

You can also read our review and laugh at our plating efforts here: https://outinbrum.com/2020/06/14/opus-to-you-a-heat-at-home-weekend-treat/

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670 Grams – Lockdown Heat at Home

Posted on January 31, 2021 by outinbrum

Chef Kray Treadwell opened his restaurant ‘670 Grams’ in early summer in the Custard Factory, Digbeth. The restaurant is named after the weight of his daughter when she was born four months premature. We weren’t able to make it to the 16-seater restaurant before the winter lockdown so we’ve had to do the next best thing and try one of their heat-at-home meal boxes.

The week we wanted it for he was offering a vegan meal box – that’s not the restaurant’s norm, but we thought we’d give it a go, after all we’ve always got emergency pepperamis on-hand should the lack of meat make us feel faint. Not that we knew it at the time but Chef Kray would earn himself the title of the Michelin Guide’s Young Chef of 2021 just two days later – no doubt this accolade will make tables at his restaurant even harder to come by when lockdown ends.

I think you can tell a lot about a chef by what they’re able to produce with only plant-based ingredients, and the food we ate was interesting and tasty. Forgive the plating, we tried our best but I’m sure the restaurant make a better fist of it!

White tea cups filled with strawberry coloured clear liquid on silver teardrop saucers

We started with a shot of strawberry kimchi ‘soup’. It gave an initial impression of summer freshness but became progressively more savoury, maybe even with fermented funkiness, with lingering fruit and slight heat on the sides of the tongue. Super unusual but not unpleasant.

Golden samosa with bhaji and green chutney

Next was a more conventional course of dahl samosa, rice bhaji, and spring onion chutney. The bright chutney tasted vibrant and green, with a ginger heat and tang from the onion. The samosa and bhaji were lightly spiced and had some crunch.

White crisping noodles on green thai broth in a bowl

On from here more East Asian flavours with Thai green crispy noodles with daikon and finger lime. The green liquor had good heat and was fragrant with coriander and lemon grass, on crispy noodles and soft earthy daikon.

The tomato, smoked bread, and crispy wontons were tasty with tomato sweetness, but it could’ve done with a couple of more crackers to offset the soft texture.

Crispy green capers on top of golden breadcrumbed potato slice on white sauce

Perhaps my favourite course was the potato kiev, with truffle ajo blanco and crispy capers. The breaded potato was crumbed with a slight crunch but the truffled ajo was so delightful I could eat it with anything, the salty capers cut through its richness.

Bean curd shaped in to a teddy bears head atop rice pudding in a bowl

The Teddy Bear bean curd was fun, and the coconut rice pudding wasn’t too sweet, with the pineapple giving it a top-end piña colada feel. I particularly loved the lotus pretzel and they look really interesting as petit fours.

Can’t wait to get to the actual restaurant!

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Eastern Flavours – Western Technique: Makan Tabao from HK

Posted on January 9, 2021 by outinbrum

In prior years Deliveroo may not have been where one would naturally have gone for fine food, but since the pandemic and attendant closures many venues have entrepreneurially reached beyond their usual platforms to keep their ovens burning, and to continue delighting us with their food.

From this Wednesday 13th January one of our favourites, Harborne Kitchen (HK), will start to offer a new exciting delivery – Makan Tabao, eastern flavours with a western technique. HK’s Head Chef Tom Wells spent 6 years in Singapore and, inspired by his time living there, he has been busy working with Sous Chef Dave and Chef Owner Jamie Desogus developing the Makan Tabao concept. Why the name, you ask? They tell us that Makan is a traditional Singaporean greeting that also translates as ‘eat’, and Tabao translates as takeaway.

We were lucky to get a sneak peak, and taste, of the Makan Tabao offering (yes a freebie before they opened to the public, see our reciprocity promise here). Of course coming from the HK stable it’s a refined and quality centric offering – no MSG and E-number colouring here. The menu is compact but has something for everyone from vegan to committed carnivore, with starters from £6 and mains from £8.

Two cardboard takeaway containers one with chicken skewer the other with pork ribs

For starters we had the chicken yakatori with ponzu and sesame, and the smoked pork ribs with red miso and preserved plum. The chicken was succulent, with a barbecue flavour, garnished with sesame seeds, and served with a tangy ponzu sauce with nutty sesame oil. The pork ribs were lightly smoked and the preserved plum and miso dressing was sweet and fruity.

Round ramen takeaway container showing noodles, boiled egg, seaweed, slices of pork belly and spring onion

The Pork Belly ramen is a meal on its own without needing sides, starters, or dessert (not that it stopped us). The pork was tender with the fat rendered down, an unctuous joy. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the broth full to the brim with umami, with a runny boiled egg adding its rich yolk, and spring onion a punch of freshness. We also had the Malaysian beef rendang. The beef was falling-apart soft, with a good heat, and packed with fragrant spices.

Takeaway carton showing white turnip pieces dressed with slices of almond red crushed Szechuan peppers and chopped chives

As a side dish we had the salt-baked turnip with almond and Szechuan pepper. Turnip isn’t usually a go-to side for me but here they were elevated with fragrant Szechuan peppercorns, rubies on the alabaster turnips. I could happily have eaten just the turnips for a main meal. We also had a generous portion of delicious egg-fried rice, nothing like the burned greasy offerings that so often are offered up by late-night takeout joints.

For thorough research, we obviously tried the desserts. The sago pudding was creamy with strong coconut and notes of vanilla, and topped with a sharp tropical hit of fresh passionfruit. The lime cheesecake was lip-puckeringly tart with a delicious sweet crumb. A fine end to a fine meal.

For those of you missing restaurant trips, Makan Tabao is a great home alternative – this isn’t just takeaway South / East Asian food, it’s excellent quality that you’d be happy having served to you in any restaurant.

Makan Tabao officially launches on Wednesday 13th January. It will be available to order click and collect or delivery via Deliveroo between 5 – 9.30pm Wednesday to Saturday.

Find them here:

https://www.harbornekitchen.com

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Heat-at-Home Restaurant Meal Kits

Padre is a taqueria in Borough Market serving tacos and Mexican small plates alongside margaritas and mezcal, now offering kits for you to recreate their favourite dished at home

670 Grams – Lockdown Heat at Home

Eastern Flavours – Western Technique: Makan Tabao from HK

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