Here at thestudio we like to think of ourselves as being game changers. We place you, our valuable guest, at the heart of everything we do. This being said, in today’s day and age an undeniable spotlight has been firmly placed on what we put on our plates.
Sustainable, less travelled, super food , gluten free, diary free and vegan are all words we hear more and more and are becoming a more prominent factor when our customers are choosing their venues for meetings, training and events. So with this in mind and the fact that we love food! … what we’re about to announce should come as no surprise!
We have only just gone and done it! We have achieved a Bronze Food For Life Catering Mark!
Why’s this something to shout about?
Well… this means all your food is freshly prepared to the highest of standards by using seasonal vegetables, ‘red tractor’ meat and eggs from free range hens. Did we mention there’s no place for additives or trans fats in our food? We meet the government guidelines for food and nutrition!
Now that’s something to shout about!
Our daily menu created by our chefs and complying to the awards standards always offer our delegates; a hot meat or fish dish, a hot vegetarian dish, which is always gluten and dairy free, hot side dishes, salads and super food of the day, with a little sweet treat of something to finish
If you’d like to see what storms our in-house chefs are capable of cooking up, check out our menu page! *warning salivation imminent*
We all can relate to the importance of a get together, be it family or friends. But for a lot of organisations, including ourselves, we see the value in getting our studio team together. So last Wednesday, we did just that! With a handful of new studio family members and a new venue on the ever brightening horizon, our quarterly round up couldn’t have been timed better! Check out what we got up to…
To kick off the session the team were presented with all things studio from none other than our delightful directors. Could you have guessed we’re forecasted to have had a whopping 137,000 customers by the end of this year! Now that’s a big number!
Let’s face it, self-introductions are always a bit awkward, especially if you’re new. So it was time to call in the big guns… an ice breaker to the rescue! Partnered randomly with someone we may have not worked with directly, we were left to our own devices to find out 3 interesting facts about each other. From missing bones to filming the Duke of Edinburgh, these ‘on behalf of’ introductions were both insightful and hilarious!
Keeping the team amused and engaged after a hard days’ work was high on the cards. With a studio themed pop quiz distributed and the fire of friendly competition raging in our bellies, we had an all-out battle to see who knew the most about our past, present and future! Team Mixed Bag took the title of studio encyclopaedia, closely followed by Just here for the Pizza.
As the night drew to a close, there was only one thing that could solidify our bond further: pizza. So it was off to Zizzi’s in the Mailbox (who have a deliciously diverse menu!).
Suffering from summer time sadness and wishing you too were on holidays? The weather might not be great but here’s a few things we think could brighten up your day, especially if you’re paying us a visit!
Don’t forget the sun tan lotion…
Being the number one topic of all our gripes and groans, the British weather is renowned for its ups and downs. This being said, when the sun decides to have his hat on, it’s important for us to make the most it! There’s nothing better than soaking in the sun and what a better place to do it on than our roof garden in Birmingham or terraces in Manchester and Leeds!
A toast to summer…
Is there any better way to celebrate the summer than with a tempting glass of prosecco or a soothingly cool luxury ice cream? Being firm believers of treating yourself, especially when it comes to food, our summer offer is one not to miss and available across all our venues. Check out our latest offers if you’d love an all-inclusive rate!
Where art thou Pikachu…
Pokemon Go has literally taken society by storm, all generations have come together to pursue childhood dreams of becoming a Pokemaster! Or they’re just curious… But for those who have a new found addiction to pokeballs, did you know thestudiobirmingham is sat right next to a plaque dedicated to William Shakespeare which doubles up as a Pokestop! Now you can top up both your coffee and stash of revives on your break. Happy days. (more…)
No longer a wee rumour, thestudioglasgow is set to be unveiled later this year. So in the spirit of our new Scottish home, here are some things you may or may not have known about Glasgow!
• We all know New York is a ‘hell of a town’ but did you know that Glasgow has its own Statue of Liberty?! Mounted on The City Chambers, the figure of Truth stands proud mirroring on a smaller scale its twin from across the pond.
• ET phone home… Fortunately this transmission’s origins were terrestrial; Scotland had its first taste of TV in the one and only Grand Central Hotel. A place familiar to thestudio team… Check out our Glasgow away day!
• Why the long face? Home to the longest bar in Europe, measuring over a whopping 104ft, the bar stretched its way into the Guinness book of records… and rightly so! Aptly named the Horseshoe Bar.
• Did you know Glasgow has the fourth largest population within the UK ? That’s a lot of Glaswegians!
• Third place to only London and Budapest, Glasgow owns the third oldest subway system in the world! Pretty impressive, and it’s even got its own nickname: Clockwork Orange!
• If you love a bit of football trivia this is one for you… the first international match was held on 1872 in the land of kilts West of Scotland Cricket Club. Though the team weren’t from too far afield: Scotland vs England!
• When it comes to law enforcement Glasgow was ahead of its time, having established their first police force in 1789, 40 years before London! Thankfully no sign of Robocop yet.
• A holiday that is either avoided or celebrated by the masses, St. Valentine’s Day is renowned for celebrating love. Funnily enough, this Saint’s remains can be found in the Blessed St John Duns Scotus church in Glasgow!
Now we all know a little more about our new home. If you’re curious about our new venue, stay in the loop on Facebook, LinkedIn or twitter! Have a lovely weekend all 😀
Yes, we are still harping about our new aesthetically pleasing and easy to use website. Technology is everywhere and has firmly planted its presence in our hearts and more importantly our pockets. So join the new age revolution, dust off those keyboards and let’s get creative!
1. Responsive. Don’t be scared off by techy lingo, a cheeky Google search will help you understand the jazziest of technical terms. The best way to think of it is “content is like water”, your webpage will respond to the shape (the device accessing your site) and fit it accordingly. Goodbye to awkward scrolling or trying to zoom into miniature text, your site becomes fluid, just like water.
2. Are you an internet explorer? As the home of all websites, we access the internet through various web browsers; did you know they can be a crucial part of how fast everything runs? So when things start lagging beyond belief, maybe switch it up and see what happens. Apparently Fire Foxes don’t bite. We know for some this maybe stating the painfully obvious, but spare a thought for those who aren’t computer savvy!
3. Images. Humanity loves images. They are quick and easy to process, much better than reams and reams of content. In today’s society people are busy, they’d rather just be quickly shown what they are getting then convinced it’s the right decision after. One size doesn’t fit all so think carefully about how your photoshoots are shot; square images don’t make great banners! (more…)
You’re right, we’ve had facelift! We’d like to welcome you to our new and improved page, don’t worry there’s no major changes, just the same great team topped off with an even better website. It’s even responsive, meaning it will work on mobile devices! Super handy for your where’s Wally moments.
So firstly, I’ll introduce myself… Hi, I’m Jyoti and you may remember me from such films as… Only joking! I’m no Troy McClure (looking to you Simpsons fans) but if you’ve paid a visit to our Birmingham venue, you’ll most likely have been greeted by me! Usually serving an enthusiastic good morning and a more wilted good bye, I work as an Assistant Digital Copy Writer and Receptionist.
As exciting as my position is, I had the privilege of helping to develop the new site. That’s one of the great things about being part of thestudio family, you’re always encouraged to develop your skills and there’s always opportunity for growth. Being a self-professed geek I relished at the chance to upgrade my computing skills, who wouldn’t? Plus, it was too great a project to let pass by. My main priorities are content management, changing imagery and fault reporting.
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Today we are proud to announce thestudio Director and Co-founder Emma Jennings made it into the House of Commons!
Over a spot of breakfast, the IPT (Industry Parliament Trust) hosted a meeting addressing and recognizing the vital role small and independent businesses play in the UK’s overall economic growth and wellbeing. Acting as an intermediate, the IPT bridges the gap between parliament and businesses, through encouraging insightful exchanges to promote an improved understanding for both factions.
With talks of business expansion, current government opportunities available and the biggest challenges faced by SME’s, support was today’s topic of choice. After all, there’s nothing more efficient than working together towards a shared ambition.
Emma said after the event this morning …
“What an opportunity to be invited to such a prestigious venue where you get to speak and hopefully influence government policies of the future. Around the table the main topic, was definitely providing “support” and how is the existing support “signposted” to busy business owners to access it?
From the academics and MPs around the table it was interesting to hear them talk of “aspiration” being the biggest driver in small business growth. From experience I know thestudio has no lack of aspiration!
What we do lack, as a “service and hospitality business” is access to government funds that support our growth, we have borrowed a substantial amount of money to enable our successes to date and mostly at director level risk in term of guarantees. I asked for encouragement in more of that aspiration and ambition, by mitigating some of the personal risk we always have to consider in any expansion of our business. More sensible and accessible funding please!
Also I was very interested to hear of the demand around the table of putting “entrepreneurship” as a curriculum agenda in schools – show young people that your own business is a career choice and support this at the grass roots. As a business we are extremely supportive of mentor programs and wholeheartedly support the next generation and giving something back.
And finally … a big message was consistency. So many initiatives come and go for businesses that it is challenging to make long term plans. In the 10 years of thestudio’s trading history we have survived some pretty stormy seas, we are have been resilient and come out the other side and are excited for our future growth, BUT we do need some stability in the economy, which could of course take us onto another very hot and current topic …. But for today, it’s back to the real world and the business of running our business!”
“More than” or “Less than” birth place to Glasgow
In this modern age where information is fast and easily gained, we as a populous have a habit of losing interest and attention fairly quickly. So instead of a long winded, super descriptive take on our away day, here’s a countdown of what we got up to!
- Venturing into the unknown and uncharted territory (logistics wise), we transported our whole team to where you ask? Scotland of course! As it’s no wee rumour, Glasgow will be the home of our 4th venue, so the perfect location for a good ol’ studio bonding session.
- Much needed hearty breakfast boost at the impressive Citizen M (unique hotel/events space born in Amsterdam) followed by a tour of the facilities… Everyone loved the mood lighting and of course the breakfast spread!
- Moving onto Grand Central Hotel where we held our traditional team rally, new recruits warmly welcomed it was time to get into the nitty gritty of the business, past present and future. With the threat of an early start and a breakfast food coma dipping our concentration levels, a much welcomed game of “Run Around” dominated the session.
- Happy Birthday Evie! We sang, we cut and we ate.
- Lo and behold thestudioglasgow! The team were lucky enough to have a “pre-fit out” viewing of our newest space … Just a viewing? We think not! For our challenge we were split into groups, locking horns over crowning the rooms with a meaningful studio-esq brand name and quote. See if you can guess from our 3d plans on the website which ones were the winners…
- We know the saying about all work and being a dull boy… So as the evening drew closer, it was time to let our hair down, celebrate our achievements and enjoy an exclusive open top bus tour of beautiful Glasgow. Definitely living the Glaswegian high life.
- If you’ve been to one of our venues before, you’d know how much all of us love food. And for the love of food, we dined and went to meat eater’s heaven: Viva Brazil. With 14 cuts of meat which are brought to the table then specifically and individually carved, there wasn’t need for much movement unless you fancied something from the unlimited salad bar.
- Bellies filled, drinks drank, it was time to call it a night but not before a cheeky night cap at the stunning Hotel Indigo. A great hotel that is graced with both modernity and grandeur.
- Return home!
Our team had a smashing time and if you’re in search for some solid advice or inspiration from turning a dreaded away day to a day looked forward to, feel free to contact us! After all, we love a good mind map 🙂
Celebrating all that is Irish: St. Patrick’s, or more fondly known as St. Paddy’s day is finally here! Every 17th March we are encouraged to wear absolutely anything green. With oversized novelty hats and waving…
Mahatma Gandhi once said “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
Though we may not like to admit it we all know the benefits of keeping active and eating correctly. Whilst many live the active life we’re so aware of many of us hide our guilty faces in a smoke screen of business or deliberately bury our heads behind computer screens, far too often we fall into a black hole of excuses and reasons to not go for that run, walk or swim. Fortunately a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean cutting all your much loved confectioneries; it’s more about being mindful. That being said, we have listed the top 5 things which could be the beginnings of a healthier mind and body.
1.Make a stand…
It may sound and even look a bit odd however the benefits of standing whilst working far outweigh the cons, so put on a brave face and anchor those heels to the floor. With the majority of the populous working in modern factories (offices) and commuting to and from work, we know this isn’t the best combination for hitting that all important daily step count.
2.Fight off temptation…
Don’t be fooled by the snake charmer, it’s true that at times your own thoughts can be your own worst enemy, especially when hunger pains take over! Surrounding yourself with healthy snacks will not only assist in keeping those hunger pangs at bay but will support your blood sugar levels. You’ll be as ripe and ready to go as your trusty fruit pot. (Don’t feel guilty about the odd chocolate though, after all, a momentary indulgence is a thing of beauty!)
3.Let’s get physical…
As hunter gatherers, physical movement was essential to survival, now it seems movement is a thing of the stone ages! It’s hard after a long day’s work to find motivation or even inspiration to do something out of the good ol’ comfort zone. Biting the bullet and having a session at a gym, where you may feel overtly self-conscious about your overall fitness levels may not always be the best solution to a healthier life. Why not invest in a step counter or take on a charity challenge? Don’t forget, being physical and getting enough sleep are both core ingredients to your wellbeing!
4.From horse power to human power…
For those brave enough to face the British weather head on, saddling up for what we loosely call summer could be a fun, revitalizing and a super healthy choice to make. With the trend of cycling becoming increasingly popular It’s not uncommon to see colorfully clad cyclists heading to work all year round. Cycling will help you have an energetic start to the day! Plus we have heard wearing Lycra can feel strangely liberating, naming no names…
5.Water works…
Making up around 60% of our body, water is not only important to help our body clear out toxins but hydration helps to Kung Fu combat that pesky heavy eye lidded monster called fatigue. So if you want to feel refreshed, grab a glass of water and if water just isn’t your thing why not try adding cordial. Some water must be better than no water, right?
Like a squirrel who stored nuts for the winter, remember all those little efforts you make all add up. You don’t have to wait for a new year to make some changes; there is no better time to start than the present. Good luck on the new ventures and healthier-ish lifestyles. We encourage you to hop, skip or jump to your next meeting even if it’s only from New Street to thestudio!
