2015 Year in Review: A Brummie At Home

A Brummie at Home

2015 was the year to really embrace Birmingham and all it has to offer. Some may knock the city, but if you cannot appreciate the town in which you live then it’s probably time to move. In 2015 we ventured out from our familiar drinking and eating venues, and embraced the independents rather than gravitating towards chains. We discovered new and old places, in the Jewellery Quarter and in Digbeth, areas that have undergone something of a cultural revolution. Here’s my 2015 Year in Review – the Birmingham edition.

Independent Birmingham

Which independent bars are good? Which restaurants are independent? And most importantly, where’s recommended by those in the know? This is where Independent Birmingham comes in. Celebrating small and independent businesses, there’s a monthly membership which gives members discounts on purchases on some of the best venues. And of course, the website is available to anyone for inspiration.

Street Food

Before this year, I tended to steer away from street food. It conjured up images of a greasy burger, cold chips and potential food-poisoning. The success of Digbeth Dining Club however has put street food not only on the map, but has also knocked conventional dining out of the playing field. When a street food vendor opens up their own restaurant, you know that this is a market that’s here to stay. This year I’ve tried jerk chicken from Esmies, po’boys from The Southern Oven, Persian flatbreads from Open Sesame, kebabs from The Kebab Cartel, a pork belly burger from La Grande Viande, amazing roast potatoes from Fat Duck, bunny chow from Savanna Grill and cheesy chips from Caribou Poutine. Oh, and not forgetting waffles from the Bourneville Waffle Company, cider from a bus, and gin from a converted horsebox. And not a dodgy tummy in sight.

New openings in Birmingham

Seems like you can’t turn round without hitting a new building or business in Birmingham City Centre and beyond. Grand Central sprang up from the foundations of the old Pallasades. It’s lighter, it’s brighter and there’s a great choice of food and drink establishments to while away the time before your train out of Brum. The Mailbox finally re-opened after what seemed like years covered in scaffolding; there are now some lovely elegant chairs to rest your weary feet on the long trek between escalators.

As for new bars and restaurants there are far too many to name, and I can’t confess to visiting even a tiny proportion of them but there are some great Birmingham food and drink bloggers who can definitely create me a “must-visit” list for 2016.

The Big Hoot

One of my favourite sights of the summer was the “Big Hoot”. 89 large owls creating a trail around Birmingham and its suburbs. Each owl was decorated, named, placed in a prominent position (some not so easy to spot!), and finally auctioned off to raise over £500k for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Some even had their own Twitter accounts! The trail encouraged both locals and tourists to track down owls, whilst discovering previously undiscovered areas of the city. Whilst I was sad to see them go I look forward to seeing what we can do next summer to continue to capture the imagination and celebrate Birmingham’s architecture, history, people and cultural diversity.

Tomorrow: 2015 Year In Review: Stuff About Me