University College Birmingham has unveiled further changes to its Summer Row campus as part of its £15m hospitality investment and acquisition programme.
The first phase will include the opening of Beyond, a new 80-cover café, restaurant and bar, alongside a major refurbishment of the existing Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food.
Beyond is scheduled to open later this autumn at the front of UCB’s Summer Row building.
The venue will operate for breakfast and lunch every day and for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday.
It will create 30 jobs across full-time positions and student placements.
The menu will be centred around small plates and sharing dishes, drawing on the diversity of UCB’s student community and Birmingham’s wider culinary heritage.
An extensive wine list will accompany the food offer.
The restaurant will include a combination of traditional tables, kitchen, bar and counter seating alongside an outdoor terrace.
UCB is also refurbishing the Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food, one of the city’s longest-established training restaurants.
The venue gives students practical experience across both kitchen and front-of-house roles under the supervision of industry professionals and lecturers.
Following the refurbishment, diners will access the restaurant through Beyond.
The redesigned venue will feature a larger open-plan layout and a new finishing kitchen allowing guests to see students working during service.
A new bar is also being added for pre- and post-dinner drinks.
Students will continue to work across the kitchen and front of house, gaining practical experience alongside their academic training.
The Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food will continue operating for lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday during term time and will reopen on 12 October.
David Cumberlidge, Commercial Director at University College Birmingham, said: “The changes at our Summer Row campus represent a significant step in our commitment to investing in exceptional learning environments for our students, as well as creating fantastic new experiences for the people of Birmingham and beyond, whether that’s enjoying small plates and wine at Beyond, or tasting exemplary dishes at the new-look Restaurant at College of Food.
“Beyond and the transformed Restaurant at College of Food will give our students brand new, state-of-the art spaces to learn in, working alongside industry professionals in environments that reflect the very best of what’s happening in hospitality right now.
“We are giving the people of Birmingham and beyond even more reason to visit Summer Row, but also adding new, exemplary facilities for all of our current and future students, no matter what they are studying.
“We hope this will encourage even more young people to consider embarking on the next phase of their education at University College Birmingham.”
The Summer Row developments follow UCB’s acquisition of the former hotel and restaurant at The Cube as part of the same £15m programme.
Plans also include a new hotel and restaurant at The Cube and a neighbourhood restaurant in Harborne, providing further commercial training environments for students.
University College Birmingham teaches more than 10,000 students across further and higher education, apprenticeships, sixth form and university programmes.
Its hospitality training estate also includes a culinary school in Chelmsley Wood providing free training for adults and young people looking to enter or return to the industry.
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