Region 's heritage celebrated at lieutenancy dinner
Birmingham 's past and heritage were celebrated during a West Midlands Lieutenants' Dinner at Conference Aston.
The second largest lieutenancy in England invited special guests for its first in-person event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to honour Her Majesty The Queen.
Around 80 guests were invited along to the event to celebrate the rich history and diversity of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands with a specially created food and drinks menu.
Aston Cocktail Society commemorated the industrial heritage of the region through two drinks, the 'Birmingham 75 ' and the 'Midlands Mule '.
The Midlands Mule was a mocktail made to remember Birmingham 's past with sharp and spicy ingredients while Birmingham 75, a cocktail was mixed together using B 'lure Butterfly Pea Extract to celebrate the city 's present and future.
To honour all the diverse cultures in the West Midlands, Conference Aston 's team created a hand-picked menu of Polish, Indian and Jamaican dishes with the kitchen staff using their ancestral recipes to cook authentic meals - celebrating just three of the many cultures that make up the region.
Aaron Simms was one of the team members who contributed personal recipes for the special event. A kitchen porter at Conference Aston, Aaron came to the UK in 1969 aged 12, leaving Kingston, Jamaica behind. He 's lived in Birmingham for 53 years and has worked at the centre for 21 years.
Hosting the dinner gave the opportunity for Aaron to go beyond the usual duties of his role at Conference Aston and lend his hand to providing the menu for the main course.
Each guest was presented with a recipe card and were encouraged to re-create their favourite dishes at home.
Samantha Brown, head of Conference Aston, said: “Conference Aston is at the heart of the city and we are extremely proud of our Birmingham roots, so being able to celebrate the heritage and diversity of the area was a fantastic experience for us.
“The specially created cocktails and dinner menu went down a treat with all the guests and it was great to be able to let the society and our colleagues be creative with their menus.
“Having a dinner and drinks that told the story of Birmingham and the West Midlands, made the event even more memorable for everyone involved and that added the extra touch that Conference Aston always likes to provide. ”
Professor Helen Higson OBE, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the West Midlands, said: “It was wonderful to welcome everyone together once again after not being able to meet in person for such a long time.
“This was a chance for us to come together again as a community and honour The Queen with all of the ongoing Jubilee celebrations that have been taking place.
“Conference Aston came up with an inventive menu and concept for the event and we could not be happier with how everything went. We look forward to hosting many more in person events once again in the future. ”
Kate Canty, West Midlands Lieutenant Office, said: “The event could not have gone better, the Conference Aston team were wonderful throughout the planning process and I hope that we get the chance to work together again.
“Everyone at the dinner enjoyed themselves and had only great things to say about the menu, complimenting the staff who contributed to everything to make this a memorable occasion. ”
Pictured: Douglas Wright MBE (Deputy Lieutenant), Jack Jarman and Aaron Simms (both Conference Aston) and John Crabtree OBE (Lord-Lieutenant)