Food Review: Marmalade at The Rep

COMPLIMENTARY MEAL AND TICKETS

When was the last time you went for dinner and a trip to the theatre? If you're anything like me, perhaps it's been a while since you enjoyed the relaxed pleasures of an evening spent at dinner followed by a a long sit down at the theatre taking in the action on stage.

I was lucky enough to be invited to sample the pre-theatre menu at Marmalade before watching The Lovely Bones at The Rep.

The pre-theatre menu is available from 6pm on show days and includes two courses for £19.50 or three courses for £24.50.

The starters include soup, pate and calamari, the mains include sea bass, burgers and jambonette and the dessert selection includes lemon tart, apple and rhubarb crumble, ice cream and cheese.

I arrived with my dining companion at 5.30pm which gave us plenty of time to eat before the show started at 7.30pm.

Handily located just off Broad Street, we parked at one of the nearby multi-storey car parks before walking down and taking in the sights of the newly revamped Centenary Plaza.

Inside, the restaurant is spacious and was busy with people buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the evening's entertainment. Located besides the ICC, it was great fun to watch as people walked past in tuxedo's and ball gowns.

We took a seat and were offered water first before taking in the menu. The team were really knowledgable about what I could and couldn't eat as a gluten free diner, and I picked the Mackerel Pate whilst my dining companion picked the Calamari. Both were gluten free and I was especially excited to try the Calamari as it's so rare to find a gluten free version of this.

They arrived quickly and well presented. The Calamari was hot, light, crispy and well paired with the zesty mayo dip. The pater felt like a healthier option but was also delicious, and needed no bread thanks to the handy vegetable boats it came presented in.

Onto the mains, I went for the Catch of the Day which happened to be Seabass (I like to pretend it's not as naughty as the other menu options) whilst my dining companion went for the Blade of Beef.

Again, they arrived hot and quickly and were both full of flavour. My fish was a lighter option, served with a little veg but much improved by the addition of some side dishes. The beef was a much heartier option however, served with a delectable sauce that was full of much more flavour than I'm used to.

We couldn't resist dessert and I picked the Lemon Tart which is miraculously, gluten free. I love it when there's a seemingly gluten-full dessert on the menu that actually turns out to be gluten-free. We also ordered the Apple and Rhubarb Crumble with coconut ice-cream. This was also happily gluten free, meaning I could eat/share them both.

A few gin goblets and a jazzily named Brum Punch were also served over dinner.

By the time we'd polished off our three course meal, it was time to take our seats and enjoy the show.

The Lovely Bones is a pretty sad story, and one that I'd read before watching the play. This interpretation was very different to how I had imagined and probably not for the faint hearted.

Overall, we had a great evening. Relaxed and a little bit naughty, there's something so civilised about taking in dinner and a show and yet I don't do it enough. The menu itself offered superb value for money and I would come back for this again. Three courses for less than £25 is great value, and I'd urge anyone who hasn't been to Marmalade to try it as you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Marmalade and The Rep for the complimentary meal and theatre tickets.

Event: Annexe Birmingham New Menu Launch

Have you ever heard of Annexe? I hadn't up until recently, but it seems that this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant has a great reputation in Birmingham. Opened five years ago, the restaurant is pretty sophisticated, with a French feel in the evenings thanks to its intimate atmosphere and traditional wooden decor.

I was invited along to the new menu launch a few weeks ago and was able to try a number of dishes created by new chef, Daniel Andrade.

Walking into the intimate space, we were welcome with champagne and the sultry sounds of live jazz. With bread and olives to snack on, we perched by the wine table before mingling with the crowds and saying hi to the assembled Birmingham bloggers.

Soon, the samples started to arrive in tiny, carefully arranged plates.

Beetroot

We had been invited to sample dishes from the new menu's, and there is both a three course and five course option priced at £39 and £59 respectively. These have been carefully wine-matched and come in at between £19 and £49 depending on the number of courses ordered and how big a glass you'd like (such a good idea!).

There's also a huge amount of choice, on these menu's, with between four and six choices per course. This being said, I'd definitely recommend researching the menu before you visit.

Chicken and Black Truffle

Some of my highlights from the menu include the sea bass chowder, artichoke, fava and Jersey Royals, rabbit rillette, cherry and pistachio texture, lobster corn bavarois corn bisque and dill and scallop ceviche, watermelon, yuzu, chervil and mint.

Langoustine

I was also especially taken with the beetroot slaw, goat's curd fritter and marcona almonds.

Chicken

Although I couldn't taste everything as not every dish was gluten free, the dishes I did try were full of interesting combinations, unexpected pairings and delicate flavours. Some of the more unusual flavours included mozzarella ice cream and strawberry gazpacho, dishes that you probably wouldn't expect to see in a restaurant that isn't Michelin-starred or AA Rosette rated.

Rabbit

The wine matches were also good, offering plenty of classic favourites and new matches.

Mozzarella Ice Cream

I'd love to come back here for a proper trial of the food. There are very few places to try a five course tasting menu for less than £60, and based on the samples I tried I'd be excited to go back and try out the dishes properly.

Have any of you been to Annexe?

Event: Interview with Amy Childs at eBay Shop Live, Bullring Birmingham

Rather than popping into the Bullring for a new outfit, last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited down to interview none other than Amy Childs at Shop Live! with eBay.

The former TOWIE star and entrepreneur was there to promote eBay's Shop Live. A tongue-in-cheek homage to home shopping television programmes, there were two shows, "Ace Your Reality TV Audition" featuring Amy Childs and Harry Derbridge and how to "Survive the Zombie Apocalypse."

Each performance showcased what you'd need in each situation, from hair tools to bluetooth speakers. The audience could then take advantage of deals straight from their mobiles and pick up items immediately from the nearby Argos using Click and Collect.

Hosted by the comedian Shappi Khorsandi and Ting from The Ting Thing, I went down to watch the stars in action.

Amy made her cameo on stage with Ting and Shaapi and gave out some advice on how to ace your reality TV audition.

Ting was a fantastic presenter, she's such a professional!

The Zombie Apocalypse show was hilarious, with Shaapi finding herself with a zombie admirer.

I managed to get up close and personal with this zombie:

I even got the zombies to stay still and pose for a photo!

After the show, I sat down with Amy Childs to talk fashion and style.

You're incredibly busy with your clothing line, sunglasses range and numerous endorsements. What does a typical week look like for you?

I'm in the salon three days a week and in the shop a lot too. I hate to be bored and I love staying busy so I'll often be sending emails at 10.30pm. As well as that, I'm often travelling and meeting people which is what I love to do. I'm also really involved in the Amy Childs collection in designing the clothes and picking the fabrics and colours. When I'm in the boutique, I ask my customers what they're looking for and so often it's a sleeve as people don't want to show their arms. My customers also like a knee length on a skirt or a dress, so I'm always designing with their feedback in mind.

What do you have lined up in the next few months?

I'll be back on TV screens on Celebrity Masterchef where I'll be putting my cooking skills to the test. 

What are you're top 5 style essentials?

For me, it's all about nice jewellery and accessories. Of course, I'd say an Amy Childs dress is an essential, a pair of Louboutin's, a silver hoop earring, my Forever On Trend sunglasses and some classic jewellery. 

What trends have you seen coming through for SS16 and AW16?

There's definitely a lot of lace in Spring Summer 16 carrying right through to Autumn Winter 16 too.

If you had to give just one piece of life advice, what would it be?

I've always lived by the rule, treat other people the way you'd want to be treated.

And if you had to give one piece of style advice what would it be?

Never show your legs and boobs!

Event: Style Birmingham Live

Style Birmingham Live 2015 was held on the busiest weekend in the city's history. Ok that may not be a fact but it felt like it. On the same weekend that saw John Lewis and Grand Central open, the Birmingham Weekender, Rugby World Cup Fanzone and matches and more happening, I decided to take the stylish route and visit Style Birmingham.

Hosted by Mark Wright and stylist Mark Heyes, Birmingham Museum's Gas Hall was turned into a catwalk showcasing the best of AW15 trends.

The full list of trends shown is here:

Masculine Chic
Pastel 60's

Lavish Alice

American Heritage
Haute Hippie

Tweed with a Twist

Red Hues

Vintage Mix

Drama Queen

Enchanted

Urbanista
Winter Florals
Cutting Edge Fashion

80's Remix

There was also a hair tutorial demonstrated by Francesco Group hairdressers, where hair grips were used to create a head piece.

Not only did I get to watch the catwalk show, but I also visited the Backstage Beauty event at House of Fraser to see Amy Conway, Bobbi Brown Pro Artist for the UK and Ireland present her makeup masterclass.

Style Birmingham was so much fun, I can't wait for next year!

Review: The Club and Spa at The Cube, Birmingham

As someone who regularly eats out, whether to spend time with friends and family or to review venues for the blog, you would think exercise would be high on the list of priorities. Sadly, you'd be mistaken. Although I do enjoy the gym and exercise when I get the chance, I don't make time for it (naughty naughty).

However, when I was invited by the team at The Club and Spa to try out a personal training session and climbing wall experience, I dusted off my trainers and checked myself into the gym.

I was buddied up with Emma from Emma Victoria Stokes and together, we spurred each other on (read, dragged each other up from the floor).

First of all, we tried out the climbing wall and I was super excited to try something new. However, excitement quickly turned to fear, especially as the only way to get back down once you've gone high enough is to literally let go of the wall and trust in the ropes. Needless to say, I schrieked!

Our PT for the day, Connor, was amazing and helped us out with not just the safety and technical side of the experience, but also with lots of support and encouragement which really spurred us on.

Not only did we try climbing up the wall, we also did a traverse which is a sideways climb without ropes. This was my favourite part of the day and I would definitely try this again.

For members, use of the climbing wall is included in the membership. There are very few climbing walls in the area, so for anyone who likes climbing, it's a real bonus.

Next, we had our half hour PT session. I have never worked out with a PT and it was so much more fun having Emma with me :)

After a "warm up" on the rowing machines, we moved onto throwing stability balls and sled training. The stability ball exercise was all about lunging and throwing a giant ball at a basketball board, which was ok, but pushing the sled was a lot harder than you'd think, especially when required to crouch down to almost touch the floor.

Onto the battle ropes. I had never been acquainted with these two ropes, but I soon found out what I was in for. The first two ropes were big and heavy and we had to throw these to the ground so they made a very loud bang. The other two ropes were lighter and we had to move these up and down really quickly. This may sound easy, but trust me this my least favourite part of the session.

Lastly, we had a quick 10 minute spin battle on the bikes. Piece of cake right? By this point we were hot and sweaty, but my oh my, it felt good to be able to say I'd done something really productive with my morning!

Finally, we were able to wind down and use the spa facilities, including the pool, steam room, sauna and chill out rooms. There are also treatments available and a salt room for detoxing. I couldn't stay long so I lounged by the pool with a magazine, but hopefully I'll get a chance to go back for a full day soon.

We had a peek at the Champagne Nail Bar too whilst we were there, how luxurious!

The spa facilities were really good and I loved the mellow room with hanging chairs. The pool is more for relaxation than lengths and was busy when we went on a Saturday, but I can imagine it's quieter in the week.

So what did I think? Well, I can really say that I'd recommed getting a personal trainer if you're looking to shape up. It makes such a difference and it really helps to keep things interesting as it's so easy to fall into a routine with your workout. I'd also say that I thoroughly enjoyed having a training buddy! I've worked out solo for a while but it was so much fun to have Emma to share my pain with. I ached for days after around my shoulders and arms. The climbing was so much fun that I hadn't noticed how much effort it required but it must have done some good!

The Club and Spa is located in The Cube, Mailbox District, Birmingham, B1 1RN

*I was invited to The Club and Spa to experience a PT session, use of the climbing wall and spa facilities, complimetary.