Event: Birmingham Independent Food Fair

You may remember back in 2013, the team behind Dine Birmingham hosted an event called Future Foodies at Hotel La Tour.

This year, the event was back in a slightly different format and new name; Birmingham Independent Food Fair.

Saying exactly what is on the tin, the event is a celebration of Birmingham's Independent food scene, something which I'm passionate about. There is an absolute wealth of independent restaurants, cafes, producers and suppliers in the city and it's surprising to many when they realise just how lucky we are to have so many great venues to choose from.

For a small entry fee, foodies were able to come in and try out 8 samples from any of the traders including food and drink. Once you've tried out some of the food on offer, you could purchase anything from bread to paella or chocolate from the stand of your choice.

Authentic Tapas Group Stand

Authentic Tapas Group

Don Diego giant paella

Le Truc samples

Le Truc stand 

My favourite sample - the Le Truc goats cheese with beetroot and caramelised nut brittle

Some of my favourite samples came from Le Truc, where I got to try out this amazing goats cheese popcorn. A piece of goats cheese, flavoured with some secret ingredients and served with beetreet, rocket and a caramelised nut brittle, I couldn't get enough of this! I also loved the chocolates, particularly the fruity truffle from Henley Chocolates and the fantastic wheat free South East Asian cuisine from Hibiscus Grove Food Co. I also had a chat with Alok from Soul Tree Wine and had a mini education in wine tasting which I really want to improve on!

Peel and Stone samples

Peel and Stone stand

Peel and Stone loaves - my favourite picture!

Squisito stand

Wandering around the Millennium Point venue, I tried out some fantastic food from Le Truc, Henley Chocolate, Kneals Chocolates, Don Diego and The Authentic Tapas group and there was plenty of choice.

BAKE cupcakes

BAKE Peanut Butter Cake - YUM

Henley Chocolates

Henley Chocolates - Passionfruit flavour I think but gorgeous and fruity!

Henley Chocolates - Truffles

Kneals Chocolates

Kneals Chocolates

I was lucky enough to be able to attend as a blogger and access the VIP area where Hotel La Tour had put on a champagne breakfast and canapes later on in the day. You may have even seen my tweet! The hospitality of the Hotel La Tour team was gracious, super friendly and extremely professional, definite 5 Star service! I also bumped into the beautiful Chloe from Gastonomic Gorman and had a quick snap as well as a chat.

My tweet! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter

With Chloe from Gastronomic Gorman 

Hotel La Tour VIP Area

Hotel La Tour VIP Area

I took my camera and tried to capture the atmosphere for you guys, hopefully you'll be able to see how busy it was and it only got busier as I came in pretty early. My favourite picture is of the loaves of bread from Peal and Stone. Like it?

Did any of you go the Birmingham Independent Food Fair? What did you think?

Big thank you to Ahmed from Dine Birmingham for having me :)

Boston Tea Party Harborne Food Review

Boston Tea Party is a small group of cafe/restaurants that have slowly been popping up around the country.

Not available on every high street, BTP is a place to eat ethically sourced, simple food that is made on site daily. The milk is always 100% organic whilst the eggs and meat are free range.

The restaurants also give back to the community, acting as a social hub and place for everyone from mums to knitting and reading groups to meet and drink.

There are now 15 BTP's around the country, each designed to respect the building and locale, and I was kindly invited to review the newest BTP in Harborne, near Birmingham.

The School Yard is a compact food and drink destination in Harborne, just outside of Birmingham, and is home to Prezzo, Urban Coffee Company and of course Boston Tea Party.

Walking through the side door, it's hard to believe what's inside as you enter the shared courtyard space lit up with fairy lights strung amongst the trees. Making my way to BTP I walked past the outside courtyard seating into the main building. A converted Victorian school, the BTP space is full of quirky details and original features. With plenty of seating downstairs, I found the bar and said hello to BTP manager Dagmara.

Bike art 

We took a tour of the space, from the easy to access downstairs area and private outdoor space to the quieter upstairs area which can be hired out for free by groups and for events such as book groups, crafting sessions etc.

Upstairs seating

Finally we made our way back down and I took a look at the menu. Visting BTP for an evening meal, I could have opted for a burger, toasted sandwich or salad, but I love a good breakfast so decided instead to try out something different. I couldn't resist the Raspberry and Mango smoothie and it came out super fast having placed my order at the bar. Fruity, fresh and lively, I slurped it down so quickly!

Raspberry and Mango Smoothie 

Next I ordered my meal. Although I was tempted by the Kedgeree, Mushrooms on Toast, Veggie Breakfast and 'Get Your Goat, You've Pulled' toasted sandwich, I chose the Eggs Royale with avocado which is an English muffin topped with poached egg, avocado and hollandaise sauce - yum! Alongside the Royale I also tried out the Moroccan Mint Tea.

Eggs Royale

Having visited the Birmingham BTP I knew that they make a fantastic Orange and Almond cake and had my sights set on this before I'd decided on my main. Needless to say that this moist, orangey, marmalade laced cake rounded off the meal nicely.

Moroccan Mint Tea

There's also a huge variety of drinks available from smoothies and milkshakes to homemade iced teas, wine, craft beer and an unusually wide selection of teas and coffees.

As a gluten free foodie, I was especially impressed with how well BTP caters for gluten-free diners. The menu is clearly labelled with GF, the staff are really clued up on what is suitable to eat for those on a GF diet, and they can even use GF bread in a lot of dishes to make them gluten-free!

Orange and Almond Cake

Anyone who's been to a BTP will know that they make some incredible cakes that come out on huge wooden boards. They also make GF cakes on the regular, and as well as my Orange and Almond cake which is gorgeously gluten-free, they also had a GF brownie in when I visited.

Bakewell Tart cake slab

I had a great experience at Boston Tea Party Harborne and thoroughly enjoyed the food, atmosphere, service and fascinating building.

Although it's known as a daytime venue, they are open late until 11pm, making it a great place to go for a quiet drink or bite to eat in the evening. Harborne is a great place for evening drinks with plenty of pubs and restaurants to choose from. Boston Tea Party offers something really different to the pubs and restaurants, with a tasty menu, interesting space full of different seating areas and friendly staff. I'd definitely recommend that you try it out and I've already been back!

Macarons vs Macaroons: Yipsy Macarons Review

Finding sweet treats that are both tasty and gluten free has been a real challenge for me, and I'll always buy a gluten free cake if I see one.

One of my favourite sweet treats that are naturally gluten-free are macarons. Macarons you ask? Angela from Yipsy Macarons very kindly explained to me that macaroons and macarons are not the same thing; I know, newsflash. Macaroons are the big white coconut biscuits that your gran probably loves. Macarons are the pastel toned miniature bites of sweet candy heaven that you can find in Paris and selected foodhalls across the country.

Yipsy Macarons is the brainchild of Angela Yip. Leaving behind a career in finance, Angela Yip (nicknamed Yipsy by her friends) swapped spreadsheets for spatulas and started making macarons for weddings, events, birthdays and as corporate gifts.

I was lucky enough to be sent a box of macarons to try out; here are my thoughts.

Presentation

Beautifully presented in a specially designed gift box, my Yipsy Macarons came packaged up in a white slide out box tied up with string, a mini clothes peg and a Yipsy Macarons label.

Inside, the macaron line up was made up of 12 beautifully coloured and decorated macarons in flavours including Salted Caramel, Lemon, Raspberry, Chocolate Praline, Pistachio, Vanilla and Strawberry.

Texture

Macarons traditionally have a crisp outer shell, soft centre and a small 'foot' which rises during baking. They should all be the same size too so that when the macarons are put together, the two parts fit well. These macarons checked all the above boxes, result.

Taste

As for the taste? Whilst some macarons simply look good, these macarons taste fantastic too, and the colours really relate to the flavours they are meant to taste like! The yellow macaron is most definitely Lemon flavoured (and possibly my favourite for it's zesty, fresh taste), whilst the speckles on the Vanilla tells you that it has been flavoured with real vanilla pods. The Salted Caramel also deserves an honourable mention for its chewy texture and divine taste.

Storage

The macarons last for up to a week in the fridge and a month in the freezer. If you're taking them out of the fridge, Yipsy recommends that you leave them out at room temperature for 5 minutes before eating.

Overall

Yipsy Macarons are a sensational sweet treat that are full of flavour, texture, colour and come in at under 100 calories each. It's no suprise that local businesses including Henry Wong Harborne, The Plough and Urban Coffee Company are stocking these delicious delicacies.

Macarons are a great idea for birthdays and events, and what could be more decadent than a macaron tower to mark an occasion? I'd love one for my birthday and it's great to be able to offer up something that all your guests can enjoy, especially considering that they can be made dairy free on request too.

Thank you Angela - I'll be back!

For more information check out the Yipsy Macaron website, twitter and Facebook page.
 

Food love: Peanut Butter Fudge

I know this isn’t strictly about fashion or beauty, but I did warn you there would be some lifestyle thrown in! It may not look like much but I can assure you it tastes amazing.

The recipe is from Sophie Dahl and is available on the BBC Food website, but it’s really simple just peanut butter, dark brown sugar, icing sugar and butter. Even if you don’t like peanuts, I’d urge you to try it as it doesn’t taste that peanutty.  It’s a great sweet treat and you can only have a few pieces at a time!

Happy baking! Let me know if you’ve tried it or have any other great recipes to share.