Food and drink in Birmingham, England
Encyclopedia
As with any large town or city, food and drink has played an important role in the commerce and culture of Birmingham
, England
.
began trading in the Bull Ring
, selling tea
. Ridgway later went bankrupt. Setting up business in London, he paid back all of his creditors and continued his tea trade, becoming one of the first English tea companies to hygienically prepack tea so as to avoid adulteration. In 1876, Queen Victoria
commanded House of Ridgways to create a blend for her own personal use. In 1863, William Sumner (founder of Typhoo) published "A Popular Treatise on Tea". In 1870, Sumner started a pharmacy/grocery business on the High Street, Birmingham. This grew and forced Sumner to move to new premises on Castle Street and then on to Bordesley Street at the canalside. Typhoo was bought by Indian tea company Apeejay Surrendra Group on October 31, 2005.
s and cocoa during the mid-to-late 19th century.
The Montserrat
Co. Ltd. was formed in Edgbaston by J.& E. Sturge. Lime juice was produced in the city and then exported for use in the manufacture of citric acid
. The failure of Sicily
's lemon crop at that time resulted in an opening in the market which Sturge took great advantage of utilizing their extensive chemical works
based in Edgbaston. The company was set up by the Sturge and Albright families who funded the development of Montserrat estates in 1867. Joseph Sturge bought the Elberton Sugar Estate in 1857 and converted it into a lime production plant. He also wanted to prove that free labour could be made profitable (the Sturge family were instrumental in the anti-slavery movement).
to house James Henry Cook's vegetarian restaurant
, one of the first in England. In 1898, 'The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel
', named after the famous vegetarian Sir Isaac Pitman, was opened on the same site, and the proprietors subsequently opened a long-running health food store
.
Birmingham is home to a wide variety of Asia
n eateries which have served the people of Birmingham since the 1940s. The first Chinese restaurant was the Tong Kung on the Holloway Head which opened in 1956. The Wing Yip
food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter
along with many other fine oriental restaurants.
In 1945, Abdul Aziz opened a cafe shop selling curry
and rice
in Steelhouse Lane. This later became The Darjeeling, the first Indian in Birmingham, owned by Afrose Miah. The second was The Shah Bag on Bristol Street. The Aloka opened on Bristol Street in 1960 and Banu on Hagley Road in 1969. The Balti
was invented in the city and has since received much gastronomic acclaim for the 'Balti belt' (Balti Triangle
) of restaurants in the Sparkbrook
, Balsall Heath
and Ladypool areas of the city.
Thai Edge, which started out in Brindleyplace
has been praised as one of the top ten Asian restaurants in the UK by The Independent
magazine. The modern British cuisine restaurant Opus, opened by entrepreneur Ann Tonks, has garnered significant praise from Michelin critics, and been the focal point of business lunches in the CBD (it has also won several awards including Best New Restaurant at Birmingham celebrations).
As of 2009 the city boasts three Michelin stars; with Simpson's in Edgbaston
retaining its star and eponymous restaurants Purnells in the city centre and Turners in Harborne
being awarded one in 2009. Purnell was formerly chef at Jessica's, also in Edgbaston, where he won his first michelin star. Jessica's closed in 2007, after which the former maitre d' of (Pascal Cluny) re-opened the restaurant as Pascal's and was awarded a Michelin Bib in 2008.
, Blue Bird Toffee
, Bournville
cocoa, Cadbury chocolate and HP Sauce
.
s.
The BBC
Good Food Show takes place at The National Exhibition Centre
and is Britain's biggest and most extensive food event.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Tea
During the 1830s, Thomas RidgwayThomas Ridgway
Thomas Ridgway was an English trader who specialised in the import and sale of tea during the early 19th century.His first shop was in the Bull Ring area of Birmingham; this went bankrupt, and he moved to London. The new business, The Tea Establishment of King William Street, London, imported tea,...
began trading in the Bull Ring
Bull ring
Bull ring may refer to:*The arena in which bullfighting takes place, see bullring,*The Bull Ring, a henge in England;*Bull Ring, Birmingham - a city-centre area of Birmingham, England;...
, selling tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
. Ridgway later went bankrupt. Setting up business in London, he paid back all of his creditors and continued his tea trade, becoming one of the first English tea companies to hygienically prepack tea so as to avoid adulteration. In 1876, Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
commanded House of Ridgways to create a blend for her own personal use. In 1863, William Sumner (founder of Typhoo) published "A Popular Treatise on Tea". In 1870, Sumner started a pharmacy/grocery business on the High Street, Birmingham. This grew and forced Sumner to move to new premises on Castle Street and then on to Bordesley Street at the canalside. Typhoo was bought by Indian tea company Apeejay Surrendra Group on October 31, 2005.
Limes
Birmingham's earliest food trade connections with the West Indies involved the importation of limeLime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
s and cocoa during the mid-to-late 19th century.
The Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
Co. Ltd. was formed in Edgbaston by J.& E. Sturge. Lime juice was produced in the city and then exported for use in the manufacture of citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
. The failure of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
's lemon crop at that time resulted in an opening in the market which Sturge took great advantage of utilizing their extensive chemical works
Works
Works may refer to:* An author's or artist's body of work of art* Engineering structures, projects, and so on, including:** Earthworks , created through moving soil or unformed rock...
based in Edgbaston. The company was set up by the Sturge and Albright families who funded the development of Montserrat estates in 1867. Joseph Sturge bought the Elberton Sugar Estate in 1857 and converted it into a lime production plant. He also wanted to prove that free labour could be made profitable (the Sturge family were instrumental in the anti-slavery movement).
Restaurants
In 1896, a new building was built in Corporation StreetCorporation Street, Birmingham
Corporation Street is a main shopping street in Birmingham city centre, England.It runs from the law courts at its northern end to the centre of New Street at its southern.- Planning :...
to house James Henry Cook's vegetarian restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, one of the first in England. In 1898, 'The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel
The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel
The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel was a vegetarian hotel that opened in 1898 in the County Buildings , Corporation Street, Birmingham, England, as an expansion of a vegetarian restaurant on the same site. The manager was James Henry Cook. According to his daughter, Kathleen Keleny, it was named after Sir...
', named after the famous vegetarian Sir Isaac Pitman, was opened on the same site, and the proprietors subsequently opened a long-running health food store
Health food store
A health food store is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health food, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements...
.
Birmingham is home to a wide variety of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n eateries which have served the people of Birmingham since the 1940s. The first Chinese restaurant was the Tong Kung on the Holloway Head which opened in 1956. The Wing Yip
Wing Yip
Wing Yip is a Chinese supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, founded in 1969.The current Birmingham store now also serves as its headquarters office, international trading division, property and investments, , warehouse, and national distribution centre...
food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter
Chinatown, Birmingham
The Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England is located in the city centre's Southside. It is an area with a predominantly Chinese influence as a result of a concentration of Chinese owned businesses, organisations and social clubs...
along with many other fine oriental restaurants.
In 1945, Abdul Aziz opened a cafe shop selling curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
in Steelhouse Lane. This later became The Darjeeling, the first Indian in Birmingham, owned by Afrose Miah. The second was The Shah Bag on Bristol Street. The Aloka opened on Bristol Street in 1960 and Banu on Hagley Road in 1969. The Balti
Balti (food)
A Balti is a British-style type of curry cooked and served up in a thin, pressed steel wok-like pan. It is served in many restaurants in the United Kingdom...
was invented in the city and has since received much gastronomic acclaim for the 'Balti belt' (Balti Triangle
Balti Triangle
The Balti Triangle is an area of Balti houses clustered along Ladypool Road, Stoney Lane and Stratford Road, to the south of Birmingham city centre. It covers parts of Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Balsall Heath....
) of restaurants in the Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council.-Etymology:...
, Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
and Ladypool areas of the city.
Thai Edge, which started out in Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace
Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use canalside development, in the Westside district of Birmingham, England. It is often written erroneously as Brindley Place, the name of the street around which it is built...
has been praised as one of the top ten Asian restaurants in the UK by The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
magazine. The modern British cuisine restaurant Opus, opened by entrepreneur Ann Tonks, has garnered significant praise from Michelin critics, and been the focal point of business lunches in the CBD (it has also won several awards including Best New Restaurant at Birmingham celebrations).
As of 2009 the city boasts three Michelin stars; with Simpson's in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
retaining its star and eponymous restaurants Purnells in the city centre and Turners in Harborne
Harborne
Harborne is an area three miles southwest from Birmingham city centre, England. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constituency of Birmingham Edgbaston.- Geography :...
being awarded one in 2009. Purnell was formerly chef at Jessica's, also in Edgbaston, where he won his first michelin star. Jessica's closed in 2007, after which the former maitre d' of (Pascal Cluny) re-opened the restaurant as Pascal's and was awarded a Michelin Bib in 2008.
Brands
Famous food brands that originated in Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Bird's CustardBird's Custard
Bird's Custard is the original version of what is known generically as custard powder. It is a cornflour -based powder which thickens to form a custard-like sauce when mixed with milk and heated to a sufficient temperature...
, Blue Bird Toffee
Blue Bird Toffee
Blue Bird Toffee is a brand of toffee, founded in Worcestershire, England, in 1898 by Harry Vincent.Vincent had similar ideas to Cadbury and the Frys with regards to the workplace being a pleasant environment to work....
, Bournville
Bournville
Bournville is a model village on the south side of Birmingham, England, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and chocolate – including a dark chocolate bar branded "Bournville". It is also a ward within the council constituency of Selly Oak and home to the Bournville Centre...
cocoa, Cadbury chocolate and HP Sauce
HP Sauce
HP Sauce is a popular brown sauce originally produced by HP Foods in the UK, now produced by H.J. Heinz in the Netherlands.It is the best-known brand of brown sauce in the United Kingdom and Canada as well as the best selling, with 71% of the UK market....
.
Events
Fairs and festivals dedicated to food were held in the Bullring during the 18th and 19th centuries. The most popular of such was the Onion Fair which celebrated the harvest of onionOnion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Good Food Show takes place at The National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
and is Britain's biggest and most extensive food event.