Interested in a great migration? Well, Birmingham is experiencing an influx of Giant Owls! Perching all over the city, from the centre to the outskirts, these vibrant birds will definitely catch your eye. Running from the 20th July – 27th September, these feathery friends will be on display to help raise awareness for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Your last chance at birdwatching will be from 10th-11th October, they’ll be flying the nest soon after as they are being auctioned off in order to raise funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital… what an ingenious way to support a great cause!

Hoot your favourite owl design @studiovenues #thebighoot2015

Walk this way…

In total there are 200 wise owls dotted about Birmingham, the Ozzy Owl being the wisest of course (rock on). This exhibition is in perfect timing with both the school holidays and the lovely British summer, so if you fancy a fun, free, day out why not trek through the concrete jungle on The Big Hoot Trail! thestudio team have managed to snap up quite a few… as you can tell! (more…)

Only stopping in its tracks because of the World Wars, La Grande Boucle or as we know it, The Tour de France is an iconic, jam-packed, action filled, world class event in the annual sporting calendar, with teams from all over the world all vying for the highly acclaimed top spot and that yellow jersey.

Well known for putting the strongest athletes to the test, challenging them both mentally and physically, this race is not for the faint hearted. In fact, it is so gruelling that in 1919 only 10 individuals managed to complete the course!

The #TDF2015, running from Saturday July 4th to Sunday July 26th 2015, is the 102nd tour and is made up of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,360 kilometres: 9 flat stages, 3 hilly stages, 7 mountain stages including 5 summit finishes, 1 individual time trial, 1 team time trial and just 2 rest days – phew!

Follow the leader…

British cyclist Chris Froome seems to be the favourite to win (go Britain!) riding as the general classification contender (going all out for the yellow jersey!) with the ever impressive Team Sky. (more…)

The time to dust off those BBQ’s has finally arrived; 21st June marked the official beginning of the long awaited British Summer! With the change of seasons it’s now time to get ready for the gastronomical delights @ thestudio’s quarterly menu tasting!

Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it this Monday, there’s 2 more seasons left to taste this year! Just let us know and we’ll add you to our special tasters list.

Being genuine foodies, we really value our ingredients and the dishes we create to incorporate a menu that truly embraces all the fresh, lovely produce summer offers.  Not to mention how much we enjoy reading your views on our culinary creations, this is one place your feedback is always welcomed!

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Rejuvenated after the Easter bank holiday, it’s time to celebrate spring’s arrival. For us, there is no better way to welcome the budding trees, sunny weather and beautiful blossoms than our spring menu tasting!

Admittedly many of thestudio teams’ favourite working day, attending the culinary cook off is a great excuse to indulge on some seasonal sensations. Whether you’re a meat eater, favour vegetarian or the type of person who always has room for dessert, with our huge variety of dishes you’re destined to find one that tickles your taste buds. (more…)

If you love bread and you love bananas, well, that makes today your lucky day as it’s Banana Bread Day!

Come join thestudio team for a freshly baked banana bread muffin.

In the 1930’s, banana bread rose to fame with the introduction of popular cooking products baking soda and baking powder. They fast became a familiar feature in American cook books and were even more renowned during the Great Depression. Banana bread signified the ingenuity of American housewives (who were not as lucky as those in Desperate Housewives), limiting waste in the unfortunate economic climate.

Today there are an abundance of recipes ensuring satisfaction for even the most unique of pallets! From using peanut butter to mango you can invent your own banana bread bonanza.

tweet your creations @studiovenues #bananabreadday

 

 

StudiopancakesTime to get those frying pans out and start flipping! It’s Pancake Day!

Why not join us @ thestudio for some delicious fresh pancakes!

It might sound like a great excuse to comfort eat the winter blues away but the once Pagan Slavs originally ate pancakes (which represent the sun) to ward off the evil spirits of the winter. If this were true, we’re sure in the hopes of better weather pancakes would become a UK staple! (more…)

Christmas has come to an end and all the festivities firmly put to rest with the traditional purging of decorations. After every dessert laden and cheese board filled Christmas, it seems common among the masses to rejuvenate during January, working on that all important beach body for the summer. That’s on all of our minds, isn’t it? Most people, and we’re no different, tend to reflect on the previous year and in rose-tinted aspiration of the coming year, look forward to change.

This lead to the thought of this New Year’s resolutions and what thestudio team have set their sights on in 2015. (more…)

There’s been a lot of debate regarding the link between our brains and food. The food we eat influences our brain.  Refined sugars give an energy boost but after a short while they cause drowsiness, proteins keep us active longer and the right mix of carbs (sugars), protein and fat benefits our health; and it’s not just us saying that. It’s science!

Now, we tend to take science very seriously here @thestudio and ever since we opened our first venue in Birmingham we’ve made sure that we build our menus with everything that we need in order to keep our brains working (more…)

It’s been a week since International CONFEX (19th – 21st March) in London closed its doors. How time flies in the world of events! It seems only yesterday we were unwrapping our Christmas gifts and now we’re slowly wrapping up the month of March! It’s funny that in a world based on people contact you really seem to sometimes miss keeping in touch with your fellow colleagues and peers. CONFEX is a great opportunity to meet old acquaintances, get to know new people and hear people’s enthusiasm for the services we offer.

This year we were part of an elite selection of venues that were brought forth under the Meet Birmingham umbrella. It was great to see so many people who recognise the advantages of holding meetings in the Birmingham area. More than ever, people realise that the West Midlands is a great hub for bu (more…)