The Good
On Sunday 9th July, I just managed to make time and go to Birmingham's first "Taste of Birmingham" festival.
The show included cooking demonstrations from some of the best know celebrity TV chefs. Also available were wine tasting classes, beer tasting classes and the opportunity to taste small sample plates from some of Birmingham's top restaurants.

I especially liked (loved would be more accurate) the two sample plates I had from Simpson's.
Loin of Tuna rolled in black sesame seeds, tomato granite, parmesan crisp, avocado puree, aged balsamic vinegar.
and the......belly of pork..mmmm!

The Bad
Since I only arrived at the gates of the show at 2.40pm and the show ended at 5pm, I was keen not to waste a moment...however the queue waiting to get in seemed to stretch for miles!
I approached the people at the front of the queue and asked…..”Is this the queue for people with complementary tickets?” Yes…came the answer, they also told me they had been waiting for 45 minutes to get in. I then turn to an official looking type who told me, “You can get in now if you pay £12.” Fuming I paid my £12 and was allowed straight in. I then approached two organizers about this ridiculous situation, letting them know that I also write for the Birmingham Sunday Mercury. They gave me a nonsensical reason for the lengthy queue saying it was health and safety that “one person is allowed in when one comes out.” If that is the case how can I get in immediately if I choose to pay cash?...I queried

You may or may not have read in the national papers about the “cock-up” concerning the alcohol license which left wine sellers unable to sell bottles for the first two days. Which is incredible given two facts... The huge fee each stand pays to be at the show and the second was that some of these same organizers were previously involved in the London version of the show, so one would think they would have no problem putting on the show in the provinces?

The Ugly
With lots of samples available on paper plates, you’d think that it’s common sense to have plenty of rubbish bins situated around the site and make sure they are emptied often.
Unfortunately that was not the case so you did get the feeling that you were at Wembley after a football match……..knee deep in litter.

Never the less I did enjoy my brief visit to the show and bumped into a few people I know so perhaps I will give the show another try next year.