Tag Archives: West Midlands

Birmingham’s Newest Smokehouse

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You don’t have to venture far within Birmingham to experience flavours from all over the world, and making its new debut into the up and coming Birmingham food scene is D.J. Quinn’s smokehouse. Located in Hall Green, just over 15 minutes away from the city centre, D.J. Quinn’s is a traditional Irish pub established in 2018, that hosts live music, sports and more recently a new authentic smokehouse.

Excited about the new opening I ventured to Hall Green to try out some of the amazing dishes D.J. Quinn’s had to offer! Their new menu consists of an array of smokehouse dishes, sharers, and small plates, as well as some pub classics and Sunday roasts. I opted for a selection of the small plates which included smoked wings, mac ‘n’ cheese and pulled pork nachos, with my partner opting for one of the mains which was Memphis style half rack of ribs & pulled pork. The food arrived and wow was I impressed! It all looked so delicious, we couldn’t wait to dive in and try it.

The smoked wings came in a delicious Cajun rub, served with a pineapple salsa and bbq sauce. They were crispy on the outside but deliciously succulent on the inside, the perfect chicken wings!

The mac ‘n’ cheese was a enticing combination of three different cheeses, combined truffle oil and Parmesan. I couldn’t get enough of this man ‘n’ cheese, it was creamy and more-ish, definitely not your standard boring mac ‘n’ cheese. My partner who hates mac ‘n’ cheese even said he liked it which is an impressive feat!

I’m a big fan of nachos, sampling them across many of Birmingham’s restaurants but the D.J. Quinn’s nachos surprised me. They were not your standard nachos to say the least! Full of flavour the homebaked nacho chips came with the same delicious pineapple salsa that accompanied the smoked wings, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and smoked pulled pork. The portion size was huge, it is fantastic value for money as they’re only £6.95 and we struggled to eat them between two of us! The pulled pork was the real winner here though, as it has to be the best pulled pork I’ve ever tasted, I could have honestly sat and ate a whole bowl of it to myself! The pineapple salsa went really well with the pulled pork and the flavours complimented each other. D.J. Quinn’s also offer a vegan version of the nachos with bbq jackfruit and vegan cheese sauce with salsa and guacamole.

My partners main meal which was the Memphis style half rack of ribs & pulled pork looked so good that I had to steal some for myself! The Memphis style ribs are smoked for 4 hours over a maple and applewood chip blend in a natural oil drum smoker, and are then finished with a homemade bbq sauce, served with seasoned fries and pickles. The pulled pork was the same smoked pulled pork that topped the homemade nachos, and was still as delicious as ever! The pictures don’t do this meal justice as the ribs were enormous! The were really meaty and had the most amazing flavour; all the meat at D.J. Quinn’s is supplied by local butcher Keith Emery and smoked in house.

Aside from all the meat, D.J. Quinn’s also offer a vegetarian and vegan selection, as well as some traditional pub classics and Sunday roasts. Their menu is served 7 days a week from 12pm-9pm. When you think of pub food you don’t think of anything inspiring but D.J. Quinn’s has really changed that! I’ve never been into a pub before and been so blown away by how fantastic the food is, every dish we had was spot on and I couldn’t fault anything. If you’re looking for a new place to try then get yourself down to D.J. Quinn’s, the short drive from the city centre is definitely worth it! You can find more information and their full menu here.

Disclaimer: I was gifted this meal, however all opinions are genuine and my own.

#PaisleyBrownies – Brownies Delivered To Your Door

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If your anything like me, and the rest of the U.K. for that matter, then you’ve probably been spending most of lockdown baking away. I’ve had some good bakes and some not so good. So after many bags of flour and failed bakes later I decided it was time to call in the professionals. This is where Paisley Flour comes to the rescue!

Paisley Flour is a bespoke catering company located in the Worcestershire town of Bewdley. From cakes to wedding catering to private dining there’s nothing that Paisley Flour can’t do! But more recently they’ve been running the exciting (and very delicious) #PaisleyBrownies campaign, delivering boxes 8 different flavoured brownies across the whole UK. I can’t think of anything better than receiving this little box of joy in the mail, whether it’s for a special occasion or because you just deserve a treat!

I was kindly gifted a box of brownies to try by Paisley Flour. They were perfectly wrapped to keep them protected during the journey and arrived looking like they had been freshly baked only hours ago! When I opened the box it was love at first sight, I was greeted by 8 decadently moist brownies of a variety of flavours. The flavours I received in the box were:

  • Orange Liquor Cointreau & Terry’s Chocolate Orange
  • Tia Maria Glaze with Rich Belgium Chocolate & Peppermint After Eight
  • Honey Jack Daniels & Almond with Toblerone
  • Traditional Chocolate Brownie
  • Salted Caramel & Peanut with Snickers
  • Peanut Butter with Peanut M&M’s
  • Malteaser Cookie Dough
  • Espresso Martini Kitkat Brownie

After trying all of them there wasn’t a single one that I didn’t like. My favourite had to be the malteasers cookie dough, as I’m a real sucker for anything that has cookie dough in! Paisley Flour changes the flavours each week so there’s something different every time you try a box. What I love about the company too is that they’re donating £1 from every sale to charity and you can even add a personal note in with your order, making the #PaisleyBrownies the perfect gift for any chocolate lover!

You can get your hands on these boxes of pure chocolatey heaven by visiting the Paisley Flour website here. For just £17.50 you get 8 uniquely flavoured hand baked brownies, a personal message included (if you want one), and postage included too! No longer do you have the hassle of baking and making a mess whilst doing so, but you’re also supporting a small local business! The #PaisleyBrownies make the perfect gift for any occasion or even as a little lockdown pick me up to get you through the tough times. But one thing I can assure you is that if you order #PaisleyBrownies they most definitely won’t disappoint!

What’s your favourite flavour brownie?

Laura 
♡

Disclaimer: I was gifted this brownie selection box, however all opinions are genuine and my own.

 

The Barnt Green Inn Review

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Located in the leafy Worcestershire village of Barnt Green, the popular country pub favourite of mine, The Barnt Green Inn, has recently had an exciting new refurbishment. I couldn’t wait to visit to see how this beautiful historic listed pub had reinvented itself! I’ve always loved the food at The Barnt Green Inn, so for me the most exciting part was the brand new menu which was chosen to incorporate fresh fresh flavours and ingredients inspired by modern world food trends.

Eager to see the transformation I headed to The Barnt Green Inn for their re-opening night so I could be one of the first to see the exciting new chances. At the door I was met with the usual warm welcome by the staff but was taken aback by the breathtakingly new lush interior, which brought a twist of modern to the classic feel of the half timbered original decor.

The bar area was large but had a private feel to it and was still as cosy as I remembered it before! Situated in the bar on the opening night was something I’d never seen before – a build your own gin station. Filled with an array of fresh fruit, garnishes, and botanical, something I couldn’t resist. With the expertise of the staff I was able to craft a gin and tonic that consisted of the perfect combination of flavours for my personal taste.

It has to be said The Barnt Green Inn has really succeeded in creating a luxurious venue whilst still incorporating the classic charm the building had before its renovation. I don’t think there’s an establishment within the Midlands quite like it! I really am impressed with the new interior but I have to say my favourite part is the toilets (strange I know).

I absolutely adore the chic feel of the bathrooms and couldn’t help taking a few pictures of myself in the cute little mirrors either. If only I could have a bathroom this stylish at home!

Now onto the food. I’d probably say my favourite hobby is eating, so I was definitely excited to taste the new menu that had been created by the team. I was spoilt for choice, everything sounded so lovely but I finally settled on the Pork Belly Bao Buns and my mother opted for the Seared Wild Atlantic Scallops. Our food arrived shortly after we order and looked an absolute treat! The Pork Belly Bao Buns came with a red chilli, pineapple and mango salsa which perfectly complimented the pork. Additionally the chilli gave the dish a fiery kick that went nicely with the sweetness of the mango and pineapple. On the side was a pot of thai-style dipping sauce if you fancied adding a little bit of extra heat to the dish! I really enjoyed the Pork Belly Bao Buns; they were perfectly flavoured, very filling and brilliant for sharing.

I’ve never tried scallops before and as my mother opted for the Seared Wild Atlantic Scallops I found this the perfect opportunity to try one for the first time. The scallops were served along lobster and a crab bonbons with a pea and truffle oil velouté. My mother really enjoyed this dish and I have to say so did I…my first time tasting scallops was a success! I expected them to be overpoweringly fishy, but instead they were tender and juicy, with a very subtle seafood taste. Now I know that they’re delicious I will certainly be ordering them in the future!

For the main I opted for the Outdoor-Reared Heritage Breed Rotisserie Sticky Glazed Pork Belly. I had pork as my starter so probably shouldn’t have opted for it as my main, but it sounded too delicious to resist! It was served with smoky creamed corn, roasted butternut squash, calvolo nero mashed potato, red wine jus and crispy crackling. The pork was cooked to perfect and was so tender it melted in my mouth. Surprisingly I’ve never tasted roasted butternut squash before, I’ve only tried it in soups but it was really flavoursome and I’ll definitely be trying it at home in the near future. The creamed corn went unusually well with the dish, adding a unique flavour when paired with the pork. My only criticism is that I would have liked more calvolo nero in the mash as I adore it, but I guess that’s just a personal preference!

My mother opted for the Four Bone Lamb Rack which looked impressive to say the least! This was served with chorizo, butternut squash purée, roasted shallots, calvolo nero, dauphinoise potatoes, chimmi churri and a red wine jus. You were able to choose how you wanted your lamb cooked and to my mothers delight it was cooked expertly, with it being exactly how she had asked for it to be. I didn’t try dish myself but I’ll take my mother’s word that it was all cooked to perfection, being one of the nicest meals she’s had in a very long time!

After finishing two mouth-wateringly delicious courses we browsed the desserts menu and decided on the Icon Sharing Dessert Birdcage. This exciting dessert consisted of a half birdcage structure with three tiers of desserts. The desserts included were vanilla cheesecake, strawberry, chocolate & pistachio smash; blackcurrant mousse & mango coulis; home-baked brownie, French almond macaron & pecan praline ice cream. This dessert is made to be shared between two to three people, or just one if your appetite is big enough! I was excited to try each dessert of this trio, as they weren’t too similar in taste or texture and it seems like the selection was picked so as to bring you an array of different flavours to excite the tastebuds. My favourite was the chocolate brownie as it was really light and fluffy, but decadent at the same time! Overall, I really did enjoy all the elements of each dessert and would definitely recommend the Icon Sharing Dessert Birdcage if you’re stuck on what dessert to choose, not only is it delicious but also makes for a great picture!

Overall I had an absolutely amazing night at the newly refurbished Barnt Green Inn. The staff were as friendly and attentive as ever, but I was really taken aback by the effort that has gone into designing the luxury velvet interior which merges perfectly with the original timbered structure. Before the refurbishment I didn’t think the food could get any better at The Barnt Green Inn but I couldn’t be anymore wrong. I throughly enjoyed every course I had and wished I could have ate it all over again!

The Barnt Green Inn has really put itself on the map as a luxury dining destination. Perfect for family outings or special occasions, it’s really worth giving this establishment a visit as you certainly won’t regret it. You can find out more information about The Barnt Green Inn and see their menus here.

What’s your favourite country pub?

Laura 
♡

Disclaimer: I was gifted this meal, however all opinions are genuine and my own.

 

Heaven Sent Lichfield Review

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It’s not often that I get time to pamper myself, so I set it as my new years resolution for 2020 to start giving myself the pampering I deserve! There’s nothing better than having a relaxing massage or facial after a hard week at work and in late 2019 I discovered the newly opened Heaven Sent in the charming cathedral city of Lichfield, located in Staffordshire.

Heaven Sent is a luxury salon spa located in a beautiful listed building on the scenic cobbled streets of Lichfield. Already having a branch in Sutton Coldfield, Heaven Sent opened the Lichfield branch in December 2019 offering an array of skin and beauty therapeutic treatments. After visiting the salon in December when it first opened, having an amazing facial and massage treatment, I couldn’t wait to come back. Eager to visit again I returned this month to try out the ‘Lichfield Luxury Ritual‘.

Upon entering the salon you’re greeting by the bright fresh chic interior and friendly staff who show you to the stylish seating area to relax and enjoy a drink whilst you wait for your treatment. After a few minutes I was then shown to the ambiently lit treatment room where the ‘Lichfield Luxury Ritual’ would be taking place, which had amazing heated massage beds and candles lit to set the mood. I was so warm and cosy that I could have nodded off! The treatment started off with some relaxing inhalation’s of lavender and vetiver to bring a calming feel of tranquility to the experience; this is something I’ve never done before but it really relaxed me!

The ritual then proceeded which started off with a well needed soothing foot exfoliation for my tired feet. My feet were then wrapped in warm steamed towels whilst my back was coated in a cleansing body lather that contained olive grains to exfoliant and cleanse my skin. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, a soothing mask was applied to my feet, followed by amazing heated booties. I was in heaven! To finish the ritual my whole body, including face and scalp was massaged with luxurious body oil followed up with sleep well nourishing body cream.

The whole ritual took about 80 minutes and I was left feeling a new level of relaxation I’d never felt before, with super soft skin! After my treatment I was able to return to the stylish waiting area where I chatted to the lovely staff and helped myself to the drinks on offer for clients. After a tiring January at work this was just what I needed to revitalise myself! After the treatment I returned home and had one of the best nights sleep I’ve had in a long time. Heaven Sent go above and beyond to make sure your experience is one to remember, from the beautiful interior to the attention to detail to goes into perfecting every treatment. Kelly and all the team at Heaven Sent really know how to make you feel special and this is reason why I will be returning again and again for the fantastic treatments they have on offer!

If your local to Staffordshire or the West Midlands I’d definitely recommend visiting Heaven Scent, you certainly won’t regret it! Whether you’re tired and worn out, or just need some pampering, Heaven Scent has a treatment to fit your every need and bring you back to feeling like your best self! You can find out more about what they have to offer on their website here.

When booking you can use ‘LAURA15’ to gain 15% off the price of any treatment!

What’s your favourite spa treatment?

Laura 
♡

Disclaimer: I was gifted this treatment, however all opinions are genuine and my own.