Popular city food festival moves to late summer slot
A FOOD festival held in the heart of Birmingham’s business district will return again later this year, but on a new date.
The annual Colmore Food Festival, run by the area’s business improvement district, will be held on September 13 and 14 instead of its usual home in July.
The date switch is due to the ongoing renovation works in Victoria Square where the festival returns to after being held outside Birmingham Cathedral for the first and only time last year.
The event will again bring together bars, cafés and restaurants from across the Colmore BID patch to host food and drink stalls, demonstrations and live entertainment over the two days.
It is estimated that each year around 30,000 people visit the free festival, which will have its 11th outing in 2024.
Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell, who owns two restaurants within the Colmore Business District, said: “The food festival is a one-of-akind event which celebrates the best of Birmingham’s food-and-drink scene, right in the beating heart of our amazing city.
“Food and drink are so central to the way we mark special occasions and the way we socialise with others so it is wonderful to be able to offer the people of Birmingham the space to come together, mingle and just soak up the festive atmosphere.
“With lots of entertainment planned for the weekend, it is a great way of celebrating how multicultural our local community is, reflecting our vibrant city and all that it has to offer.”
Alex Tross, deputy chairman of Colmore BID, added: “Following on from the success of Christmas in Cathedral Square, we are incredibly excited to announce the return of the Colmore Food Festival for its 11th year. Birmingham’s food scene has an impressive history.
“The city is the birthplace of Typhoo Tea, HP Sauce, Cadbury’s chocolate and Bird’s Custard to name but a few.
“Birmingham is also the city that holds the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK outside of London and that’s something that we are very proud of.”