Tearooms transformed for romantic Valentine's rendez-vous

14 February 2016

By day, it is a friendly place to enjoy a drink and snack, but this Valentine’s evening, the lights will be dimmed for an evening of fine dining in what is possibly Birmingham’s most exclusive and ornate restaurant within the splendour of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

In a special after-hours event, the Edwardian Tearooms will become a restaurant serving a delicious five course menu for its amorous Valentine’s Day diners, with live music being played overhead in the galleried balcony above. 

“Our team has put together a fantastic menu with four choices of starter and main course designed to tantalise the taste buds and scintillate the senses – from the spice of butternut and sweet potato soup, to the rich rump of lamb with a mint jus, and vegetarian options including gateaux of wild mushroom, parmesan and savoury thyme pancakes,” comments Alex Nicholson-Evans, Commercial Development Manager at Birmingham Museums.  “A zingy gin and tonic sorbet provides a refreshing break between the savoury courses, whilst dessert is all about indulgence, with a choice of chocolate fondant and pistachio ice cream, home baked cheese cake with a raspberry macaroon, or a cheese board with savoury biscuits and chutneys designed for sharing.”

Tables can be booked between 7pm and 9pm for the special Valentine’s service, priced at £40 per person.  Places should be booked online at www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

For romantics who are saving up for a wedding or looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a shoestring budget, experts from Birmingham Museums suggest that you should look no further than its collection of Pre-Raphaelite artworks within Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery – which offers free entry all year round. 

“Pre-Raphaelites created a movement of rebellion against the Royal Academy’s insistence that the works of Raphael should be regarded as the benchmark of perfection, and their works were designed to be bold, bright – and often rather shocking, with messages hidden just well enough to be almost invisible to the casual observer, but which became clear when you study the picture for any period of time – and often, the hidden message involved passion, which is why these paintings are perfect for a Valentine’s visit,” adds Alex.  “That said, if we have any gentlemen visitors who have been putting off their nuptials, they might be wise to skip past Arthur Hughes’ painting of a young clergyman who has similarly been avoiding tying the knot for some time – ‘The Long Engagement’ might be a little too close to home!”

For those people preferring their Italian works of art on a plate rather than on a wall, Sarehole Mill is offering an alternative Valentine’s experience – pizza making, using flour milled on-site!  “Many people get huge satisfaction from home baking, but here, you are able to see where the flour for the pizza dough was milled using traditional techniques, before fashioning it into a delicious pizza base,” explains Sarehole Mill’s team manager, Wayne Dixon.  “This is a great shared experience for couples – making, baking then feasting on their own delicious pizza!”

The Valentine’s Day Pizza Making at Sarehole Mill costs £25 per person including all ingredients and a tour of the Mill in action.  For more details, please visit www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

ENDS

Photographs are available by following the links at the bottom of this email, or from http://news.cision.com/birmingham-museums

Notes to Editors

Birmingham Museums Trust is an independent charity that manages the city’s museum collection and venues on behalf of Birmingham City Council.  It uses the collection of around 800,000 objects to provide a wide range of arts, cultural and historical experiences, events and activities that deliver accessible learning, creativity and enjoyment for citizens and visitors to the city.  Most areas of the collection are designated as being of national importance, including the finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world.  Attracting over 1 million visits a year, the Trust’s venues include Aston Hall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Blakesley Hall, Museum Collections Centre, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Sarehole Mill, Soho House, Thinktank and Weoley Castle.  www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, Arts Council England plans to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk