City News

Emma Dicks, a glass artist from Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, has been selected to create eight unique glass awards to be presented to the region’s top chefs at the ‘Taste of Birmingham Restaurant Awards’ on 6th July.

The Awards Ceremony, hosted by celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson and ITV Central's Jo Malin, is part of ‘Taste of Birmingham’ - sponsored by Bank of Scotland Corporate - a four-day celebration of food and wine at Cannon Hill Park from 6th to 9th July.

Emma Dicks gained her BA in Glass at the University of Wolverhampton before setting up Glacier Glass Studio in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, with funding from The Prince’s Trust.

Each of the eight ‘Taste’ awards will be kiln-fired and will incorporate Emma’s trademark style, mixing metals, enamel and glass to create stunning colour schemes and unique patterns.

Emma says, “Glass is an exciting medium to work with and has a diversity of applications that lends itself to my creative imagination. It’s lovely to be working this commission for a Birmingham event.”

The eight Award categories will be voted on by a combination of the public, a judging panel and 20 of Birmingham’s top chefs whose food will be showcased and available to try at ‘Taste of Birmingham’. The categories include Best Family Restaurant, Best Newcomer and Best Out of Town Restaurant. Birmingham Bites, Birmingham Post, Birmingham Mail, Brindleyplace and ITV Central are supporting individual awards in addition to title sponsor Bank of Scotland Corporate. Further information, including a full list of Award categories plus public voting can be found at www.tasteofbirmingham.co.uk/vote.

Dave Hodgson, marketing director, Marketing Birmingham said: “Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is a hub of creative talent, home to well over 500 businesses. Special designs and hand-crafted jewellery are being commissioned daily, locally and nationally, by the general public and a list of well known faces. This year, the Restaurant Awards will recognise the best of the city’s food industry, and it is only right that the awards are designed by one of our local creative heroes, using her own individual style and showcasing Birmingham’s diverse pool of talent.”

‘Taste of Birmingham’ is an unique four day celebration of food & drink, set in the beautiful al fresco surrounds of Cannon Hill Park from Thursday 6th July to Sunday 9th July. It will offer over 15,000 visitors the opportunity to sample signature dishes from 20 of Birmingham’s top restaurants and the country’s celebrity chefs including Antony Worrall Thompson, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli and Raymond Blanc will be in action. Restaurants include: Bank, Del Villaggio, Hotel du Vin, Jonathans’, Al Faisal, Wong’s, Lasan, Liaison, Le Petit Blanc, Malmaison, Opus, Peppers, San Carlo, Simpsons, Thai Edge, The Oriental and Zinc Bar & Grill.

Tickets start from £12.00 and are available at www.tasteofbirmingham.co.uk or by calling 0870 121 7585.