The Magical World of #TheWizardsBrunch - Birmingham Botanical Gardens (@NLi10)

What seems like a very long time ago my family spotted a themed meal that was quite local and looked like fun.  My mom bought some tickets and we put the date in the diary.

A long while later we were here at the Botanical Gardens, dressed as Wizards!  

It's very hard to see my official Slytherin Tie and pin badges here, but as the whole meal is very much not at a certain copyrighted wizard school I think I got away with it!  It's kind of an odd theme to go with though - as the evening meal is 18+ no one really is at school age.  I wondered if it would be better as a Wizards School Reunion which would give them a little more license to play around with the theme.

We were in House Brigit which wasn't the evil house, but also didn't seem to be the good house.  I think it's hard to establish identities in such a short space of time - maybe this needed to be done in the reception area.  Note my amazing wand that I picked up on a walk home from work. It's so magical.  We brought the Jelly Beans - obviously not the official ones which would have been 6 times as expensive by weight as these Jelly Belly ones - and as they are made by the same company that's just a little daft.

Anyway, the location was fabulous and had a lot of set dressing and giant spiders and floating candles and mood lighting.  The live entertainment and food started at about the same time, which was a little odd, but generally worked.

This is the Wizard Starter.  I think it was butternut squash soup and some good quality bread.  I enjoyed it - the portion was fine and the flavour was good.  

This is one of the entertainment wizards.  He was a mentalist (in the magical sense) and had some good tricks and patter.  Working in the round isn't great for an illusionist and we were slightly behind him so had a non-typical view.  He coped very well considering although was seemingly confused by the fact that it's hard to clap with cutlery in your hands!

There had been a lady with a snake in the reception area which was cool.  I had expected at least one live owl though which was disappointing.  On an unrelated note here is the main course, poor Hedwig.  As some guests too my left noted the balance was a little skewed towards the meat (chicken) and it felt like it wanted another veg, but the quality and flavour was again great.  I mean - I've been to lots of work catered meals and its hard to give 200+ people something that's satisfying and tasty.  This worked.  I think people (mom included) would have liked something a little more thematic, but the main is not the place to do that.  We had the idea of colouring either the table water or entry drinks with cordial linked to the house chosen.

The main meal entertainment was a sword swallower, which is essentially regurgitation while you are eating.  It's not the best fit (the guy was really good though and had all the entertaining bits you'd expect).

The other main meal entertainment was the best of the night - a juggler.  It's hard to get this sort of act over at the best of times, so turning it into a light show was a stroke of genius.  Contact, 3, hard 3, 4, 5, 6 ball and 4 & 5 rings were all covered - along with some kind of poi stick that had phased illuminations which made pictures appear in the air.  That last one got a lot of crowd response, which was ironic for essentially the easiest move, but it was just spectacular in the darkened room. If all of the acts had been of this standard then you could have probably done away with the food and I'd still have been happy.

The secret to a good buffet is to spend as much as you can on the pudding as it's the bit people remember the most. This sticky toffee pudding isn't much to look at (focus on the jelly beans box in the background) but it was good quality, and the vanilla custard was delightful.  Again, it's hard to wizard up the pudding without annoying the catering staff so this was fine.

Save filling the review with the settings this was an example of the kinds of things they had.  The spiders were cool, the books huge, and the indoor street lights a nice touch.  The gloomy mirrors are always in the venue (as are the plants in the first picture) so they certainly chose the right place.

There were a few little games and stalls to occupy the between courses time, although oddly the two clairvoyants were the most popular causing a queue as long as one of the tables in the great hall.  I didn't need to visit these as if they had been any good then they'd have known to bring a third to manage the wait time.

My mom, sister & I all had a great time (note the chop-stick wand in the middle!) and I think we got value for money.  I got the impression from overheard conversations that some people were disappointing that it just ended and that there wasn't a little disco or something afterwards, but I was fine with that.  I wasn't really sure what to expect but it was well run, and the wizards running it were very good at staying in character and keeping the crowd engaged (except for the terrible quiz!).

I think I'd scatter house coloured jelly beans on the tables to cover the initial wait for food, along with small bottles of coloured cordial to tint the table water with.  I'd then get a live wizard band (string quartet even) to play over the main course (you don't have to look at a band while eating) and move those two great acts to some of the dead-spots in the evening between courses so they could be better appreciated.

With the budget and capacity that they have catered for I think they did an admirable job of providing a great evening out.  I'm not sure it's something you'd do again though - maybe next year will have a completely different theme.

Big Apple Brixton: American Style Street Food Vendors - By Fey

If you're looking for a evening of good food, chilled atmosphere and a wave of nostalgia, Big Apple Brixton is certainly worth a trip.

The venue in the heart of Brixton has been transformed into downtown New York with a nod to the '80's. Think retro games and music. This was all a great accompaniment for the incredible food vendors that were there.

There was Grandmaster Slice, who offered an array of grilled cheeses. Mac to the Future covered all bases of mac and cheese. Plucky's brought the fried chicken and halloumi in a range of different choices. Then there was Burger Bear who offered great gourmet burgers.

It was almost impossible for us to choose between them all, however in the end we settled for Mac to the Future and Plucky's.

From Mac to the Future we had the mac and cheese with pancetta and breadcrumbs, which was delicious. The pancetta added saltiness to the creamy mac and cheese and had amazing flavour.

In a controversial move, we actually tried something different to the chicken that Plucky's does so well to try the special of the day- the duck burger with soy and honey dressing. The duck was crispy and the soy and honey dressing added a tangy flavour, which went nicely with the creamy coleslaw.

The bar also had a great offering of festive cocktails and mulled wine, as well as beers, spirits and wine. All in all it was a great evening and the perfect way to spend an evening in the festive period.

M&S Event: The Table - Celebrating British Beef - By Fey

The M&S event The Table was dedicated to the quality and versatility of British beef.

Never ones to shy away from an eclectic menu, every course had to incorporate an element of beef. Guests were welcomed into the venue to the gentle sound of cows and the tables were decorated with grass. Once everyone was seated, after enjoying drink and canapés, the host introduced the evening, explained the concept and information on where the beef has been sourced. All guest received tasting notes, which also helped bring the flavours to life, and create excitement for each course.

The first course, and theme was meaty- crispy oxtail, mushroom with samphire. The beef was incredibly tender, having been slow cooked- creating an intense flavour. The course was also accompanied by a Bloody Mary, which added an element of spice.

The next theme was mustardy- dripping bread with horseradish butter. The crispiness of the bread with the creaminess of the butter was delicious, and in this instance the butter that would normally be used was replaced with beef dripping. The delicate flavour was intensified with wine.

Before the next course, one of the speakers discussed the question of wine with beef, suggesting that the assumption that only red wine goes well with red meat wasn't necessarily the case. So for the next course, we were given both a red and a white wine to sample. The theme was picked- tartare of salt aged beef fillet, grilled baby onions and pickled mustard seeds. This course was my favourite. The beef tartare was delicious and the onions were incredibly soft and added flavour without being over powering. I also enjoyed the white wine with the course, and actually had a preference for this, although the red wine had an incredibly deep flavour.

The next theme was sulphurous- charred sweetheart cabbage, smoked hollandaise with dried Ox heart. The smoked hollandaise added a rich flavour to the cabbage and the dried Ox heart created an interesting texture.

The next theme was earthy- aged rump cap, burnt aubergine and smoked beetroot. The beef was incredibly tender and the beetroot added a sweetness to the more savoury meet. The burnt aubergine was also delicious.

The next course was the beginning of the deserts. The theme was green and grassy, and the menu simply read milk and grass- much to the intrigue of the guests. The milk was in fact a yogurt, consisting of sweet hay, light malt and green apple. The grass was a sauce, made of chlorophyll, hints and green apple and Galia melon. The textures complemented each other well and was a delicate way to follow the strong flavours of the meat.

The next theme was woodland- hazelnut beef shortbread, blackcurrant with miso and tahini. The blackcurrant was in the form of a sorbet, which had a sweet but tangy taste. This went perfectly with the shortbread. The hint of beef was very subtle but enough to give it a element of something special.

We ended the evening by toasting British beef with a roast beef washed whisky with hints of heather honey and orange.

The evening was perfectly executed and the chefs did an outstanding job with such eclectic and creative courses. They all give some great ideas on how any of us can use different flavours to make an exciting beef dish at home.

Brixton Beach Boulevard (@brixtonbeachldn) [By Fey]

Brixton Beach Boulevard is bringing the summer to the city dwellers looking for a summer escape.

The space in south London has been filled with sand, benches and -a wonderfully retro vibe. With the sound of 70's disco playing, you'd almost think you'd been transported to a Miami beach party.

A great range of food offerings are available. There's Lucha Burrito who is bringing the taste of Mexico with a variety of burritos and rice pots, with all the trimmings.

Then there's Mac to the Future who is taking on the classic dish by adding little twists of originality- especially with their side dishes of tator tots!

Lucky Pierre is a French pop up with great quality food with ease. The Steak Frites is a great dish with incredibly tender meat, and the béarnaise sauce gives it an extra kick. The Cheese Frites were also especially enticing- with a whole Camembert with garlic and rosemary.

Lamjam specialises in Turkish Street food and their lamb wrap certainly did not disappoint - with strong flavours and the perfect amount of spice !

All the food vendors offer something unique and there truly is something for everyone! Make sure to try one of the slush cocktails at the bar to complement your food- the passion fruit was a particular favourite! Check out the menus at http://www.brixtonbeachboulevard.com/food/- don't miss out on the last of the summer!

Aperol Spritz Event - The Bird of Smithfield / Forza Win [By Fey]

To celebrate the summertime favourite drink- Aperol Spritz, they hosted an event at Farringdon's Bird of Smithfield, in collaboration with the restaurant Forza Win.

They welcomed us up to the Aperol Terrace to enjoy a drink in the sunshine. Everything was aptly themed in orange, which added to the summertime feel.

Once all the guests were back inside, they taught us to make the perfect Aperol - lots of ice, prosecco, Aperol, soda water and a dash of orange for flavour! However, as our Venetian host reminded us, the Italians love this drink with some great food. Luckily, one of the wonderful chefs from Forza Win was on hand to show us some quick and easy Italian recipes to impress.

First was the panzanella- a dish made of bread, tomatoes (this recipe featured 3 kinds) basil and delicious onions (which had been prepared in salt and vinegar). The chef made ensured some of the guests got their hands dirty- and the dish was served. It was light but still had amazing flavour, which really did complement the drink.

Next was a Italian take on beans on toast- sourdough bread and cannellini beans (which had been flavoured with some garlic and herbs)! Such an easy recipe with a twist- they also tasted great with the onions we'd tried in the panzanella.

The last course was a beautifully cooked steak with a dash of salsa verde. The homemade sauce was delicious, and we were lucky enough to take our own little tubs home with us.

After enjoying the amazing food, we were able to enjoy the terrace once again.

The team put together a wonderful event- which highlighted just how easy it is to enjoy such a summertime drink with good company and great food and I will certainly be making a trip to Forza Win to try more of their amazing food.

Forza Win- 4.1, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, London SE15 3SN

The Bird of Smithfield - 26 Smithfield St, London EC1A 9LB

By Fey

Yorkshire Strawberry & Cherry Popcorn (Countryside Live)

My parents must hate me because they woke me up at 8 o'clock on a cold, wet Sunday morning to drag me to some show called Countryside Live at the Great Yorkshire Showground, near Harrogate (http://countrysidelive.co.uk/).

At the show there were loads of things going on, including animal demonstrations and food and animal competitions. My sister (believe it or not) raced a ferret and won #yay! There were also loads of little stores selling all kind of countryside products and foodstuffs. After making chocolate lollies and buns I saw a range of popcorn covered in weird, colourful flavourings that looked so bright and colourful I just had to try some! (Although I'm really particular about popcorn and eat the same flavour every day at break, so I didn’t think I’d like it!).

After trying the strawberry and cherry popcorn I have found my new favourite! The sweetness from the strawberry and bitterness from the cherry goes perfectly with the sweet popcorn. All the popcorn is fully covered! And the bright pink colour from the flavouring really makes it stand out. The flavour is perfect! (http://www.yorkshire-crisps.co.uk/)

By kaitlynriesxx

Cosford Food Festival 2015 - My Haul #cosfordfoodfestival [By @Cinabar]

I’ve found as I’ve been blogging about food that London is the place to be. Unfortunately we are based in the Midlands and so rarely get to go to many of the events or product launches going on in the city. When I noticed that there was food festival happening just down the road to us, I knew we had to investigate. Although I missed it last year, this year it stated that there were over 70 stalls, with live music and demonstrations. The setting is at RAF Cosford Museum which is free and holds an impressive number of exhibits ranging from aeroplanes to a Cold War display.
Tickets for the Food Festival within the grounds were £5 per adult, which isn’t too bad given the selection. It was via a wrist band so you could dip in and out all day, if you wanted to break it up look at the planes. We went on the Saturday which was pleasantly dry, and in retrospect the better choice that the Sunday which turned out to be quite wet. I’m sure they kept their spirits up with all the lovely food on offer.
We had a good wander about and bought some fab artisan food products.
My purchases:

A fab soft and moist Olive Bread from Swifts Bakery

A slice of Pistachio Nougat from Toot Sweets Chocolates

Gourmet Sausage Rolls in Barbecue and Piri Piri from Coopers Sausage Rolls

Ginger Spice Cheese from the Snowdonia Cheese Company

Black pudding Scotch Eggs from Apley Farmshop

And a huge tub of olives and bag of Turkish Delight from a company whose name I didn’t catch :-(

Spectre’s purchases seemed altogether more liquidy…

He was very pleased with his stash and meeting all the different store holders.

Cosford Food Festival had an excellent mix of stands, with everything for the beer lover through to those with an adventure for something a bit different. We are all really looking forward to going again next year, as it was a day out in foodie heaven.

By Cinabar

Asda Press Event - Halloween Special [By @C2L_Eu]

Every now and then FoodStuffFinds are lucky enough to have the opportunity to sample products at Press launches and a little while ago we were asked to attend the Asda Halloween event for their forthcoming seasonal range.
Asda held their event in central London and to get us all in the mood it included a tour of the famous London Dungeons. Going around the dungeons at 8pm on a dusky, late summers night was the perfect start to get all the guests in the spirit of the occasion and we made full use of the themed photo opportunities. It was a great addition to the evening before the real treats began and a nice touch for Asda to include.

After the tour, we were taken to a nicely located pub to sample the Asda Halloween range, which this year is vast and exciting. As ever we tried to concentrate on the the food, ignoring the costumes but the offers of face painting and special effects were particulary distracting.

One thing that drew our attention from the huge selection on offer was the sharing platter. A mixture of marshmallows and ginger bread with a saucy chocolate dip to go with. A great way to enjoy something a little different with friends and we could imagine this would go down well at a party or even watching a scary movie on a Saturday night. Taste wise is doesn't explode in your mouth but it was a nice take on the traditional sharing platters which tend to be savoury. As ever, the Asda price makes sure that this would be affordable to all and so for this, we would give it the thumbs up.

Next up were the pumpkin kits; which were by far the best products on show. Rather than the ginger bread kits which we've all seen and loved, we got a pumpkin to decorate instead. Now I know it might seem odd that a late-20's (*cough cough*) reviewer might find this the most engaging of all the treats on offer, however it really did unleash everyone's inner child. There's something very honest and simple about decorating your own cookies - it's just FUN! These would be great for all ages and again, we were really impressed. The biscuits themselves are fairly normal gingerbread, which weren't particularly exciting per se, however this didn't matter at all; we weren't looking for gourmet.

We can only imagine the fun (mess and terror) kids could inflict with these little pumpkins!

After a thoroughly enjoyable evening (with this reviewer even ending up with more than a bit of make up on... we did say we'd TRY to focus on the food...), we made our way home on the tube and looked through our generous goodie bag. Containing freaky jelly lollies, face paints, wigs and costume and two little innocent gingerbread vampires. It was only fitting to keep with the spirit of the night, and so we demanded... OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!

By C2L