Colmore Food Festival takes
place annually in Birmingham's Victoria Square. It is a free-to-attend
two-day event (with dishes capped at £4 each) that aims to showcase local
business and Birmingham food.
I attended this year, and
found it to be a relaxed affair, with a traditional British summertime theme
heightened by overcast weather, deckchairs and 1940s vocal harmony singers that
would be sure to delight locals and tourists alike.
Victoria Square's floral war
memorial
A British sense of humour
was also present, courtesy - ironically - of an old-fashioned ice-cream cart
being pushed by two French-style waiters blasting the theme tune to Fawlty
Towers. Occasionally they'd stop to tease passers-by with romantic
gestures and dance routines set to "classics" by Boyz2Men and Peter
Andre, before abruptly turning the Fawlty Towers theme back on and trundling
off.
...and I haven't even got to
the food and drink yet!
Chase rhubarb, vanilla
syrup, lemon juice and apple juice cocktail from Bar Opus(One Snow Hill | Website)
My favourite part of this
event, was finding a spot to sit amongst the picnic benches and white picket
fences, or just on the concrete steps of the square, taking in the diverse
smells around me as others ate and compiling my thoughts for this post.
Now, I'm only one person, so
there was only so much that I could reasonably sample. I couldn't
possibly review all that this event had to offer but I've included below an
account of my day's feasting (and a little more from my day's viewing) for your
pleasure...
a flat white to go from one
of my favourite local cafés, Java Lounge (124 Colmore Row | Website)
First up to tickle my palate
was the handiwork of Miss Macaroon (Website). This was actually my first macaroon
experience - I'm a little late to the party. I've seen these dainty
delights gradually popping up and becoming staple treats in cafés, though, and
noted that there now exist countless books dedicated to their art.
I wouldn't say I was
disappointed, as such. As the picture above demonstrates, these were very
pretty and tasted wonderful - as advertised - and with a pleasant texture that
reminded me of the chewy centre of a good meringue. I can't help feeling,
though, that with this variety of macaroon you're paying as much for the
craftsmanship as for the taste, and personally I prefer my macaroons warm and
of the coconut variety. These were just a tad too sweet for me.
I was impressed, though,
with the array of flavours on offer by Miss Macaroon. I sampled
Strawberries & Cream, Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Lemon.
My macaroons accompanied a
very informative wine-tasting talk by Hotel du Vin (24 Church Street | Website).
The session was presented from a kitchen set erected by the main stage,
with a sommelier on standby to serve those taking part.
Even those not sampling the wine could reap the benefits of the experts' advice, as they broke down the taxes placed on wine, thus elucidating the benefits to spending just a £1-£2 more on a bottle of wine. Not at all cynical and highly informative.
I had the pleasure, also, of
sampling one of Hotel du Vin's dishes: Piccante Chorizo Corndogs with
Salsa Roja (above) - a marriage of spicy and sweet, served on a bed of rocket.
I also tried an offering from Nepalese restaurant Jojolapa (59 Newhall Street | Website). Their Chicken Special (below) was coated in a crispy batter, and served with a sweet, tangy tomato sauce. It actually reminded me of a staple crisp of my childhood: Wheat Crunchies.
...but I'm afraid that was
all that I could fit in my stomach, folks! Before I sign-off, though, I
will share a little from the main act of the day, The Glamophones (Website), who I
alluded to in my opening.
I very much enjoyed watching and listening to The Glamophones. Their aesthetic was floral, feminine and summery, despite the weather, their routines synchronised and their harmonies uplifting and temperate - not too bombastic or loud as festival performances can sometimes be(though usually this is down to poor selection and/or acoustics).
Photographer: Shaun Joyce | Website
The overall "vibe" was one of balance and harmony with the event. Their set list comprised traditional tracks as well as more modern entries, but even the vintage numbers got everyone's feet tapping (my own theory on this being the reintroduction of such music into pop culture through video games such as BioShock and Fallout 4).
The strangest and most enchanting moment for me was a sublime rendition of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, yet not all tracks were low-tempo. Walk Like an Egyptian of Bangles fame also saw an outing, and Rihanna's Umbrella was another surprise hit.
The only negatives for me - though the performances were still solid - were a Britney Spears medley, which I've just heard too many live bands pull out of their sleeves by now, and Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass; a track that I happen to personally dislike a lot.
All-in-all, though, a thoroughly enjoyable event with well-chosen, broadly-appealing entertainment and great food at reasonable prices. I'll certainly be looking to attend again next year!
Nosh & Quaff's stilt-sporting and glamorous lobsters
