University College Birmingham (UCB) has revealed details of new restaurant Beyond and a major transformation of Restaurant at College of Food, with both venues opening this autumn
Following the announcement of University College Birmingham’s (UCB) £15 million investment and acquisition programme, which included The Cube hotel and restaurant, it has revealed further details on the first two College of Food venues which will open as part of the investment programme.
Beyond, a new 80-cover Café, restaurant and bar will open at UCB’s College of Food campus late this autumn. Located at the front of the Summer Row building, Beyond will be open for breakfast and lunch every day, and for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday.
Creating 30 new jobs for both full-time employees and students on placements, Beyond’s menu will be small plates-led, featuring sharing dishes that celebrate the diversity of UCB’s students and Birmingham’s heritage, all paired with an extensive wine list. The space will offer a mix of table, kitchen and bar and counter-top seating, plus an outdoor terrace for guests to enjoy warmer weather.
UCB’s existing venue, Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food, is also undergoing major refurbishment. Located inside the Summer Row campus, the restaurant is one of Birmingham’s longest-running dining destinations and offers diners the chance to enjoy top-quality food carefully prepared and served by UCB students, under the guidance of experienced industry professionals and lecturers.
Following the refurbishment, guests will be able to access the restaurant through Beyond and enjoy a bigger open-plan space featuring a new finishing kitchen, giving guests the chance to watch the students work. A new bar has also been added, for diners to enjoy a drink before or after their meal.
Students will continue to work across both the kitchen and front of house, developing the confidence, skills and experience they need for their future hospitality careers, while guests can enjoy stellar food and service, creative flair and seasonal produce, plus elegant desserts from the restaurant’s dedicated pastry section.
Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food is open during term time for lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, and will reopen on 12th October, with bookings open now.
David Cumberlidge, Commercial Director, said: “The changes at our Summer Row campus represent a significant step in our commitment to investing in exceptional learning environments for our students, as well as creating fantastic new experiences for the people of Birmingham and beyond, whether that’s enjoying small plates and wine at Beyond, or tasting exemplary dishes at the new-look Restaurant at College of Food.
“Beyond and the transformed Restaurant at College of Food will give our students brand new, state-of-the art spaces to learn in, working alongside industry professionals in environments that reflect the very best of what’s happening in hospitality right now.
We are giving the people of Birmingham and beyond even more reason to visit Summer Row, but also adding new, exemplary facilities for all of our current and future students, no matter what they are studying. We hope this will encourage even more young people to consider embarking on the next phase of their education at University College Birmingham.”
University College Birmingham provides further and higher education, sixth-form provision, apprenticeships and university courses to more than 10,000 students from Birmingham, the wider region, across the UK and internationally. Its curriculum and skills training span a wide range of disciplines, including Nursing and Health, Business and Finance, Tourism and Hospitality, Computing, Cyber Security, Creative Studies (taking in hair, beauty, theatrical make-up and prosthetics), Digital and IT, Psychology and Social Work, Education, Sustainable Construction and Engineering, and Sport. These programmes are delivered through three academic schools: the Business School, the School of Health, Life Sciences and Education, and the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment.
The changes at Summer Row mark the first steps in UCB’s previously announced wider investment programme, which will also see them open a new hotel and restaurant at The Cube, plus a neighbourhood restaurant in Harborne, all aimed to create exceptional learning environments for students, while supporting Birmingham’s wider hospitality sector.
University College Birmingham’s educational training venues also include a culinary school in Chelmsley Wood, which offers free training for adults and young people, aiming to give an introduction to working in hospitality or refresh existing skills to get them back into work.
For more information, or to book a table at Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food, visit: https://www.ucb.ac.uk/open-to-the-public/restaurant/