Birmingham is an old town situated in the West Midlands County of the United Kingdom. The city was the power house of industrial revolution in the UK. The city was affectionately called “the workshop of the world” and “the city of thousand trades”. The presence of a strong local market for the agricultural products helped in fueling the industrial growth. The historical fact is supported by the Royal charter of 1166. The bustling metropolis of 1016800 dwellers still retains the biggest wholesale food market of the country. The wholesale market supplies fish, meat, vegetables and fruits to different places.
The abundance of fresh agricultural products has also helped the restaurants to grow in Birmingham. There are numerous eateries in the town, catering to the taste buds of the food loving populace. The Birmingham restaurants are greatly influenced by the rich culinary history of the place. The town was known to host the food festivals in the 1700s and 1800s, at the Bullring. The most famous among the fairs was the “Onion festival” that celebrated the reaping of onions in the region. The ancient yearly festivals are replaced by the “Good Food Show”. It is a food event that showcases the latest and best in the culinary skills of the country and the cooking ingredients. The program is held at the National Exhibition Centre of the metropolis. The event is telecasted live on the BBC channel for the global viewers.
The Brummies are adventurous in nature and that passes on to their experimentation with food as well. The immigrants from Asia started settling down in the town in the 1940s. They brought with them, the rich culinary culture of their countries. The Brummies were soon hooked to the exquisite oriental cuisines. “The Darjeeling” was the first Indian restaurant to open in Birmingham. The success of the restaurant inspired many others to set up Indian and Chinese’s eateries in the city.
The “Balti Curry” was invented by the chefs of the town to suite the tastes of the locals. The dish is cooked and served in a round-bottomed, shallow bucket, made of cast iron. The recipe has gained popularity throughout the length and breadth of England. The eateries in the town are always experimenting and inventing new dishes to surprise their patrons. The metropolis has produced many globally recognized food brands; such as “Bird’s Custard”, “Cadbury’s Chocolate”, “Bourneville cocoa”, “Blue Bird Toffee”, “HP sauce” and “Typhoo Tea”.
