Over four days, four strangers from all walks of life take turns hosting the perfect dinner party for each other. At the end of the week the most impressive host wins a £1000 cash prize.

This is your chance to create the perfect dining experience and you get to enjoy three nights dining out and a chance to win!

If you or anyone you know would like to take part then please call in as soon as possible and leave your name, address and contact details.

***Closing date 27th Jan***

0871 200 3939

Or email comedinewithme@itv.com

Jobs at Custard Factory businesses

This morning I posted more jobs from four different companies – Big Cat, Yumm, Assured Safety and Ricemedia. So if you want to be a part of our community, apply away!

Flashmob Networking event tonight (24th January)

The lovely people at Clearwater Events are holding a networking event with a difference tonight – it’s taking the form of a flashmob. To go and see what it’s all about (and have a giggle) pop to Bacchus (on New Street, Birmingham) at 6pm.

Also tonight: Working With Galleries part II

Eastside Projects are hosting another of their panel discussions tonight (Tuesday 24th January) which will focus on the processes of negotiation between artist & curator/designer and client. It begins at 6:30pm, tickets are £4 (£2 concessions, free for Eastside Projects members). Visit the Eastside Projects Facebook page for more details.

Birmingham: The Ticket to a Smart, Connected City

This Thursday Digital Birmingham is holding its first major event of 2012 at Fazeley Studios, and all the movers and shakers of the digital world are going to be there. I’ll also be there to tweet about the discussions on the Fazeley Studios Twitter and i’ll write a round up on the Fazeley Studios blog. If you can’t make it, there will be a live stream available - keep an eye on the hashtag #smartbrum on Twitter for links.

This Saturday -Urban X Radio Control Car Competition   

Hedz are hosting the first Urban X Radio Control Car Competition in Space 2, and it promises to be an action packed day. Around 72 drivers will be competing from all over the country, with some coming from as far as Scotland. There will be six major radio car manufacturers there including Schumacher and Durango and The Gadget Show will also be filming the event.

If you fancy entering, it costs £8 and you need to have a BRCA (British Radio Car Association) card.

It is completely free to go and watch; doors open at 8am and the tournament will finish at around 4:30pm.

Also on Saturday:  Chitty’s Cake Company Open Day

One of our new businesses – Chitty’s Cake Company - will be holding an open day this Saturday (28th January). Between 12-4pm, the founder, Rebecca Chitty, will be holding cake making demonstrations throughout the day. She will also be giving away free goody bags and cupcakes!

Chitty’s Cake Company make and deliver bespoke cakes and cupcakes for all occasions. Rebecca also runs cake making and decorating classes from her studio in Scott House.

Events at Bay Leaf  in February

On the 5th February Bay Leaf will be holding a music night called ‘Acoustic Bites’. There will be a great combination of singers, muscians and spoken word artists performing. Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

Aftab Rahman, who runs Bay Leaf, has released a book called ‘Bangla Food Journeys’. It is a collection of Bangladeshi stories and recipies from people of all generations, and Aftab will be holding a promotion night at his restaurant on the 9th February. The evening will include a presentation from Aftab, light refreshments and a discounted two-course meal. Guests will also recieve a free, signed copy of the book.

Places are limited, so to reserve your place email aftab.rahman1@yahoo.co.uk.

British Animation Awards – screening at Custard Factory

We’re really excited to announce that the Custard Factory will be one of the UK venues screening submissions for the British Animation Awards!

The Awards, which were mentioned in The Guardian last Saturday, will be taking place in the Custard Factory Theatre on the 9th, 10th and 11th February. Visit the Animation Forum West Midlands website for more information and to get your tickets! 

What events do you want to see at the Custard Factory this year?
We’re running a Facebook poll at the moment so that you can have your say. Pick from our options or suggest one of your own!

 Early bird tickets have already sold out, so buy yours before they all go! Visit http://myfunkyhat.com/circo-loco-birmingham-takeover.html.

 Isn’t that nice? Now, back to business and as usual there is plenty going on in these quarters.

Fazeley Social events

Fazeley Social are planning some regular events for this year, starting with Happy Hour this Friday. From 5pm, you can have a bottle of beer, spirit and mixer or a glass of wine for just £2. It’s just around the corner from the Custard Factory, so why go anywhere else?

Also, on the 2nd February is the first of the Fazeley Music Nights featuring jazz from the Rachael Cohen Quartet. Due to be held every week, there is a £3 entry fee but your first drink is free. There is also a beer garden where you can still see and hear the band, free foosball table and there will also be food. It promises to be a great night – don’t miss it!

To keep up with what’s going on over at Fazeley, keep an eye on the new blog and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Big Cat doing live Q&A on the Guardian website tomorrow

Nick Morgan, CEO of Big Cat Group, will participate in a live Q&A chat on the Guardian website tomorrow (Wednesday 18th Jan). Nick will be answering questions and giving advice about careers in the events industry. The chat will take place from 1pm-3pm.

Richard Battye talk this Thursday

Photographer Richard Battye’s exhibition is still on at the Old Joint Stock Pub, and this Thursday (18th January) he is holding a free talk there about his work. The photographs are inspired by dance and have been at the Old Joint Stock since last November. The exhibition ends at the beginning of February so make sure you catch it before then, even if you can’t make it to the talk.

For more information, click on the flyer.

 Cloth Magazine feature Craftspace on Facebook Page

This awesome hoover (pictured) from Craftspace’s upcoming ‘Made in the Middle‘ exhibition has been posted on Cloth Magazine’s Facebook Page. 

Cloth Magazine is a quarterly publication that celebrates making clothes and homeware, sewing, alterations, make do and mend, vintage clothing and interesting, quirky boutiques. It is on sale in the UK and USA.

Made in the Middle, by Craftspace, starts on 11th February and will feature 35 makers from the Midlands in jewellery, glass, textiles, mixed media and more.

This hoover alone makes it worth going to!

Woolgather Art Prize 2012

The Woolgather Art Prize, taking place in Leeds later this year, is a national showcase of contemporary artists and art practice. They are now accepting entries and the deadline is 4th February. For more information, visit http://www.woolgatherartprize.com/.

 A total of £50 was raised for the Message in a Bottle scheme, which supplies small medical containers to vulnerable people in and around Walsall. The containers hold details of medication and other information and stored in a known location in the  home, such as the fridge. Local paramedics and care workers are given this information so that they can easily locate the containers should it become neccessary.

The scheme has become very popular and over 7000 containers have been delivered in the area since it began.

The wedding of Isabella and Magnus

Last Friday (January 6th)  Isabella Day and Magnus Stokoe tied the knot in spectacular style in our North Yard.

In the office we watched the preparations take place as several hearts were drawn into the ground before they were prepared for lighting – and the result was the wonderful display above. Credit to Lauren Davies for taking the photo.

Congratulations to Isabella and Magnus!

Which is the most unique wedding you have ever been to/taken part in? tweet us @custardfactory.

Two events at Eastside Projects this week

This week is a busy one for Eastside Projects. Tomorrow (11th January) they are celebrating 12 months of residences at the Curfew Tower in Northern Ireland. There will be presentations by Cheryl Jones, Nathaniel Pitt and many more. Find out more about the curfew tower on their Tumblr.

On Friday 13th January there will be a discussion on ‘What is Art?’ at St Basils, which is across the road from Eastside Projects. Entry is £3 but proceeds go to St Basils, who help young homeless people in Birmingham. 

Commissions now open for BASS Festival 2012

BASS (British Arts and Street Sounds) Festival, hosted by Punch Records, is back for the seventh year running. They are now accepting commissions for the festival which is due to take place in June.

The theme will be Jamaica, to welcome the Jamaican Olympic Team to Birmingham and celebrate 50 years of Jamaican independence. Punch are looking for work which highlights Jamaica’s cultural impact on Britain whether it be through music, dance, spoken word or theatre.

For submission guidelines and to find out more, visit the Punch Records Website.

Welcome to Chitty’s Cake Company!

This week Rebecca Chitty of Chitty’s Cake Company moved in to the Custard Factory, and we’re excited to welcome her! Chitty’s Cake Company provide high-quality, tailor made cakes for any occasion.

In addition, Rebecca will be running cake making classes right here at the Custard Factory. Keep an eye on her website and Twitter for further news!

Streetprint January sale

Click on the flyer below for more details (opens a PDF document, 2 pages).

 Got anything for our blog? Send us a cheeky tweet @custardfactory.

 Half price sale at Bay Leaf Restaurant
To welcome in the New Year, Bay Leaf are offering 50% off your food bill for the whole of January. Whether you fancy a good old chicken tikka masala or maybe a monkfish with aloo, you only have to pay half the price in the evenings. All you need to do is book a table 24 hours in advance and quote the promotional code HP12.

For more info and to book visit the Bay Leaf website.

Furniture sale at Bed and Breakfasts Guide
It’s a new year, so why not spruce up your office with some new furniture? Bed and Breakfasts Guide are having an office furniture sale at the moment with a sofa, desk and office chair going for as little as £20! If you’re interested, get in touch on 08700 434 810 or email David at david@bedandbreakfastsguide.com. Hurry before everything goes!

2012 Events

We have some great events lined up for this year, this is what we have confirmed so far:

Livewell Clinic Natural Health Fair
10th March, 10am-9pm
The Livewell Clinic is opening at the Custard Factory in February, and to launch they are holding a Natural Health Fair. Come and enjoy a wide range of natural therapies including Shiatsu, massage, Tai Chi and Pilates! It’s completely free to attend; register here to get your ticket.

Flatpack Festival
14th-18th March, various venues

One of the most exciting and innovative film festivals in the country will return in March with shows right here at the Custard Factory as well as Eastside Projects and many other venues around Birmingham. Details of the programme are starting to emerge and you can get a taste of what to expect on the Flatpack Festival website.

Birmingham Book Festival
4th-13th October
It may seem a long way off but it will be here before you know it! As part of the build-up, they are currently running a short story competition. Try your hand at writing a story between 1000-2000 words about clocks.

The winner will recieve £100 and a writing workshop of their choice, and there are also runner-up prizes. Hurry though, the deadline for entries is 31st January.

Richard Bacon at Custard Factory for charity video

Recently TV presenter Richard Bacon was filmed at the Custard Factory as part of a viral video to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

The video features a slightly scary santa flashmob dancing to a Lady Gaga song in the middle of Birmingham City Centre. It’s hilarious and all for a good cause. Take a look at the video here.

 Blake Cotterill Designs bring Dennis the Menace to buses

Blake Cotterill Designs were commissioned this month to bring something lively to the bus routes of Dundee. They wanted to create something which tapped into the local heritage, and so they paid homage to Dundee based publishers DC Thomson, creators of Dennis the Menace.

To see more of Blake Cotterill Designs’ work, visit this Behance Network profile.

 
Support independent shops

Our shops at the Custard Factory have been giving away free ‘I heart Custard Factory’ badges with any purchase, as part of a Christmas campaign to support independent shops. Stocks of the badges are limited, so if you’re doing any last-minute Christmas shopping make sure you pop down for some really unique gifts. Take a look at our directory to see what we have down here.

Bed and Breakfasts Guide.com furniture sale

Bed and Breakfasts Guide.com are having an office furniture sale at the moment with a sofa, desk and office chair going for as little as £20! If you’re interested, get in touch on 08700 434 810 or email David at  david@bedandbreakfastsguide.com.   

Christmas opening hours

The Custard Factory will be closed between the 24th-27th December, open on 28th-30th December between 9am-4pm and closed again between 31st December-2nd January. The opening times of our shops may be different from this. Contact the shops directly to find out their opening hours.

Finally, Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year! Here is a classic Christmas song to get you in the mood. It’s not as popular as Mariah or Slade, but the video is pretty funny.

Mel Smith and Kim Wilde – Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree