Category Archives: Entertainment

Business, Entertainment, Food and Drink, News

Thai time for new restaurant

Leave a comment
The typical interior of one of the The Giggling Squid’s 35 UK restaurants

Chain set to open in Sutton Coldfield

A specialist Thai restaurant chain, which prides itself on its tapas-style simplicity and ethical approach to business, is to open its doors in Sutton Coldfield.

A spokesperson for Giggling Squid, which offers ‘simple, rustic, fresh Thai food,’ confirmed the company is set to move into Mulberry Walk in Mere Green.

It will join a diverse group of restaurants operating in Mulberry Walk and Mere Green, with a specialist offering of Thai food.

It will take over the former Gustos restaurant which closed last year, subject to planning approval.

Giggling Squid opened its first restaurant in 2009 and currently operate over 35 restaurants, including an establishment in Harborne, Birmingham, employing around 900 employees who are all directly employed rather than agency staff.

The brand founded by husband and wife Andrew and Pranee Laurillard,  prides itself on serving ‘staggeringly good Thai food.’

Pranee said: “My husband and I sat in the basement of a tiny, tiny fisherman’s cottage (now our Brighton restaurant!) way back in 2002 and pulled together our first Thai Tapas menu.

” Our idea was to cook simple, rustic, fresh Thai food. We wanted a menu that people could eat like they do at home. In Thailand, mealtimes are all about lots of dishes that everyone shares.”

The opening date has not been confirmed yet, but all of its other venues will open for dine-in guests on Monday 17th May. A typical selection of what it offers can be found here

An interesting presentation of what to expect and Gustos, which has now closed

The group say it is proud to its ethical manner and works to key values such as integrity, quality and treating everyone fairly and this ethos runs through our business decisions including employment policies and supply chain management.

In a statement on its website, Giggling Squid says: “We have long-standing, close relationships with suppliers and prioritise quality and provenance. We continue to monitor suppliers that we believe may present high modern slavery risks in our supply chain.

“We are committed to continuously improving our practices to eliminate any slavery and human trafficking in the supply chain and to act ethically and with integrity in all business relationships.

“Over the course of the next financial year we will be implementing new policies, training and key performance indicators to help us identify, prevent and mitigate any risks of modern slavery or human trafficking in relation to new and existing suppliers and in relation to our own operations.”

A statement from Gustos said COVID-19 has had a significant impact on its business, like many in the industry, and it had to make the incredibly tough decision to close four of its restaurants in order to protect the future of Gusto.

.

Entertainment, Lifestyle, News

Fun in the sun as lockdown eased

Leave a comment
Enjoying a pint at the Mare Pool in Mere Green

Sutton rocking as restrictions lifted

“It’s like a carnival out there”, said one businessman returning from his first shopping trip to Sutton Coldfield town centre in months. “There’s crowds of people everywhere, ” he added.

He was, of course, referring to the latest relaxation of lockdown rules, which saw hundreds of people flock into the town and fill the pub gardens in what another observer described as like a VE Day celebration.

In the town centre, both The Station and The Town House, formerly The Royal, were packed out in their gardens.

But in a sobering reminder, just down the road at Sutton town hall, vaccinations were still taking place.

The reopening of non-essential shops, pubs, hairdressers and gyms and other venues was blessed with fine weather as the sun shone on drinkers and shoppers.

Not all pubs have reopened with some waiting for a further relaxation next month when, Covid cases permitting, people will be allowed back inside, but for those that did open it was boom time.

Top left, clockwise: in the garden at the Station; keeping warm with a pint in the Town House; The Old School House in Mere Green; the Cock ‘n’ Bull on Lichfield Road and pictures of The Butlers Arms on Lichfield Road and The Crown on Walsall Road

In Four Oaks, The Butlers Arms, The Crown, The Old School House and Wetherspoons were doing a roaring trade is people wrapped up against the early spring chill.

It seemed, however, that many had thrown caution to the wind, with social distancing being at best patchy and in some cases non existent.

But for Sutton businesses and those across the rest of the UK, it is a welcome release from the icy grip of winter and the death grip of the coronavirus.

Fingers crossed we have seen the last of lockdown and there are better times ahead.

Meanwhile, the lifesaving vaccination programme goes on at Sutton Town Hall
Entertainment, Lifestyle, News

Olly Murs centre stage

Leave a comment

X factor star at Warwick Castle

ward-winning X-Factor finalist Olly Murs will be returning to Warwick Castle as one of the venues for his open-air summer 2021 tour.
Guests can enjoy the singer’s cheeky performance style and catchy vocals against the stunning backdrop of the Castle on Tuesday 20 July 2021, and Olly says: “I’m so excited to come and perform at this beautiful location again”. The singer last performed at the Castle in 2011, and this time fans can expect to hear some of his biggest hits including ‘Dear Darlin’, ‘Heart Skips A Beat’, ‘You Don’t Know Love’, and ‘Wrapped Up’ during his set.
Liam Bartlett, Operations Director at Warwick Castle said: “We are thrilled to be able to welcome Olly Murs back to Warwick Castle next summer. This announcement adds another exciting date to the 2021 calendar following our previousl
y announced Michael Bublé concert, demonstrating what a fantastic live events venue Warwick Castle is.
We have lots of other exciting plans ahead to ensure that after a very challenging year, 2021 is a bumper year for great entertainment.” The Castle will also be hosting Michael Buble as part of his rescheduled ‘An Evening with Michael Bublé’ tour on Friday 23 July, making for a month to remember at the Castle following Olly Murs’ performance on Tuesday 20 July.
Well-known as a fantastic live shows and concert venue, Warwick Castle has previously played host to artists such as Jessie J, The Beach Boys and Simply Red.  Since becoming runner-up on The X Factor in 2009, Murs has achieved four number one albums, five platinum LPs, collaborated with Demi Lovato, Snoop Dogg and Flo Rida and scored four UK number one singles.
He’s become one of the most successful alumni from the reality TV competition and has returned to host the series as well as become a coach on rival series The Voice.
Tickets for Olly Murs’ concert at Warwick Castle go on sale on Friday 9 October via AXS.com. For more information on the Castle’s events during 2020 and 2021, head to www.warwick-castle.com.