First Birmingham Food Festival under way

After being crowned foodie capital of the UK, Birmingham is this week showcasing its culinary talents with a festival.

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Birmingham is a foodie paradise – and that's official. Last week it was named as the UK's foodiest town with Ludlow second and London coming a lowly fifth.

Contemporary BBC food magazine Olive said that alongside the invention of the balti, Birmingham has a trio of Michelin-starred restaurants, a food heritage including Typhoo, Bird's Custard and HP Sauce, social foodie enterprises and food events including the Good Food Show – Europe's largest food festival in terms of visitor numbers.

And its reputation will be further secured over the next week as the city hosts the first Birmingham Food Festival, organised by Marketing Birmingham, with over 60 top restaurants and award-winning chefs joining the menu and a citywide programme of over 100 food-filled events to show what the city has to offer to foodies.

This gastronomic celebration extends beyond the city's restaurants and chefs, with some of Birmingham's biggest attractions hosting themed events to coincide with Birmingham Food Fest, including Cadbury World and Ikon Gallery.

Event highlights include Thinktank's Dine under the Stars where visitors will feast under the planetarium's 360° digital dome and the National Sea Life Centre's sustainable fish demonstration and guided tours.

Aktar Islam, one of the masterminds behind Birmingham's Lasan Restaurant, said: "Birmingham's unique heritage and cultural diversity have had a strong influence on my cooking style.

"The city is rich with an inspiring energy and is rightfully recognised as one of the UK's culinary gems. Birmingham Food Fest is a great opportunity to raise the profile of the city's extensive dining opportunities and to showcase the calibre of culinary talent here."

Michelin star restaurants Simpsons and Purnell's and upmarket eateries Opus, Edmunds and Loves are just some of the red hot restaurants that have joined the festival's sizzling menu so far.

The chefs will be joined by the city's newest talent and rising stars from University College Birmingham, celebrating the diversity of Birmingham's food scene.

A recent sampling of some of the restaurants taking part left me highly impressed with the culinary skills on offer – and that was before the foodiest town announcement.

Let's start with a little bistro style French experience at Chez Jules, right in the heart of the city just off New Street.

The only independent bistro in the city, it offers a very Gallic experience with checked tablecloths and a very French taste.

During the festival you will be able to get two meals for the price of one. Their two course menu for £9.95 includes boudin noir et pommes – a juicy starter of warm black pudding served with roasted apple slices – and côtelette de porc grille – grilled pork chop with a coarse grain mustard jus for main.

Have the choice of gratin dauphinois with that, this potato dish will keep the vampires at bay but boy, it's good.

For lunch pop along to Bank in Brindleyplace, offering two courses for £10. A very stylish restaurant but at the same time relaxed.

This continental style brasserie is vibrant and you can get a view of the chefs working in the open kitchen while the front with ceiling to floor windows overlooks the beautiful 19th century canal.

For top class meat, dinner at The Vaults in Newhall Place, has to be on the list. We ate some of the best steak and lamb, all English-sourced, in this chic eatery decorated with local contemporary art.

It is also a great spot to drop by for a drink in the lounge bar.

The Vaults is hosting a five-course meal with Champagne tasting on October 18 as part of the festival.

For those with a desire for Indian cuisine, award-winning Asha's in Newhall Street, offers some of the very best contemporary fine Indian dining in the country, let alone Birmingham.

The waiters are only too keen to advise on dishes and are very knowledgeable.

I opted for a relatively unspicy chicken dish because it had a lot of coriander but my waiter quickly established I did like spice and suggested an alternative one with extra coriander added – and it was delicious, perfect.

For full details of the festival and to download a range of vouchers so you can take advantage of the special offers, go to www.birminghamfoodfest.com