News Archive
New venue coming soon!
Concept will be launching a new additional conference venue in central Birmingham in April 2010. Concept Flex will provide great simple food, hourly meeting space, room bookings and secretarial services – everything you would expect from Concept, but with more flexibility for you! In the coming weeks we will be developing some pages on our website to tell you more, in the meantime please call us to find out more or book with us.
Our cakes get the BBC seal of approval!
Concept Conference Centre and its social aims were featured on BBC Midlands Today as part of a local diversity week campaign during November 2009. Both Nick Owen and Suzanne Virdee were lost for words as they enjoyed our lovely Raspberry Brownies, live on BBC Midlands Today. Concept will also be making the birthday cake for the BBC Radio WM Joanne Malin Show, which celebrates its first year on air on 1st February 2010.
Promoting Social Change
Concept secures funding from Be Birmingham’s Social Enterprise Fund to expand our services and provide more work and training opportunities for blind or partially sighted people.
‘Blind Baking’ a real eye opener for the hospitality and catering industry!
Our Blind Baking event was a real success with employers getting the chance to see blind or partially sighted chefs working in a commercial kitchen. The following employers attended the event: Gray Court Catering, Marks and Spencer, Purple Rock Events, Key Personnel, Eat Coffee Limited, Civic Catering, Birmingham City University, BVSC and Town Hall Birmingham.
The event also received fantastic press coverage from: BBC Midlands Today, BBC Radio WM – Joanne Malin Show, Express and Star and the Hotel and Caterer Magazine.
All the employers found the event very interesting and many are now looking forward to working with Concept on a number of projects, as well as, offering placement opportunities to trainees. Employers Comments: “Totally changed my mind on partially sighted people”, “Opened up all sorts of opportunities in the workplace”, “Giving employers the chance to ask kitchen staff questions in an informal setting is really useful”.
If you are an employer and missed out on our event and would be interested in working with us or need some help then please visit our new page ‘Support Us’.
Local Students visit Concept on Social Enterprise Day
15 students from Heath Park Business and Enterprise College in Wolverhampton visited Concept Conference Centre as part of Social Enterprise Day.
During their visits the students found out about the social enterprise movement, as well as, hearing about the work and aims of two social enterprises: Concept Conference Centre and Citizen Coaching.
On the day the enterprising students also came up with two of their own enterprises: Rainbow Community Services ‘bringing schools and community together’ and PLATFORM ‘building confidence and social skills for young people’. You cans see the students working on their ideas at Concept’s Flickr page
Visit us at the 24 Carrots Farmers’ Market
We will be running a festive Christmas stall at 24 Carrots – the Jewellery Quarter farmer’s market on the 5th December. For more details visit 24 Carrots
‘Blind Baking’ – Diversity Week 16th – 20th November
Think blind or partially sighted people can’t cook or that they will never make great chefs? Think again! As part of Diversity Week, Concept is inviting employers and staff from the hospitality and catering sector to come and see how a real industrial kitchen runs, staffed only by blind or partially sighted people. We have 5 half day sessions planned with an opportunity to meet staff, ask some difficult questions and enjoy some great food! A real eye opener for the hospitality and catering sector!If you are a hospitality owner, employer, manager or chef and would be interested in attending, please call us or e-mail to book – limited availability.
Download & Print further information
Food Festival Recipes now available
Enjoyed our Food Festival specials? Well you can now make your own! Visit ‘Our Cookbook’ section for a selection of great treats including: Apple and Blackberry Crumble and Spicy Fish Pie!
Birthday Special Offer!
We are Four Years old in January 2010 and to celebrate we are offering 50% off our regular Day Delegate Rate for 6th, 7th and 8th January 2010! That’s just £15.50 plus VAT – limited availability – book now!
New Street gets a new look!
We are very close to Birmingham New Street station – less than 5 minutes walk, but we will soon be even closer! New Street is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment and when complete will have exits on to Hill Street making access to John Bright Street and Concept easier than ever.To keep up to date with developments at New Street visit:
www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk
And for travel information visit:
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Concept Food Festival
From 5th September to 4th October 2009 Concept is celebrating a feast of great food from Britain and beyond, with special menus and events planned in September and October, including:
Seafood Fortnight - 5 to 20 September
Jo and Martin have some very special recipes planned including: Spicy Fish Pie, Sea Food Linguini and Crusted Baked Salmon!
Organic Food Fortnight - 5 to 20 September
Ethiopian Sidamo will be our special coffee for the fortnight; a medium roast with a natural sweetness. Think: sweet berries, roasted nuts and chocolate aromas! Also, keeping us all nice and refreshed we will also be serving a selection of Belvoir Organic cordials.
British Food Fortnight - 19 September to 4 October
We have some fantastic cakes lined up including: Scones, Bakewell Tart, special cupcakes.
British Cheese Week - 26 September to 4 October
We have some lovely cheeses lined up for our final week: Cornish Yarg, Shropshire Blue, Stinking Bishop, and Cheddar; all topped off with some homemade oatcakes!Limited availability – so to avoid disappointment book your meeting now!
Win a £10 iTunes Voucher
All delegates completing a Concept Questionnaire during September, October and November will be entered into our prize draw – up for grabs is a £10 iTunes Voucher!
Advantage West Midlands Article
Read more about us on page 3 of the Advantage West Midlands Annual Review 2008/9
New brochure launched
If you would like a copy our new brochure, please contact us and we will send you a copy. Alternatively, you can download it from the Home page.
Concept in the press
Social Enterprise MagazineBirmingham Post
New training courses available from Concept
We’ve teamed up with independent trainers to provide high quality, fair priced training events. To find out more, go to our ‘Train With Us’ page.
