AD – This meal was gifted in return for this review.

The last time I visited Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter was for a stay at Saint Paul's House, a gorgeous boutique hotel just a stone away from The Jam House which I visited recently for dinner. Located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, The Jam House has occupief a traditional and historic Georgian building overlooking St Paul's since 1999. It's become a household place within this area of the city. Not only is it a fantastic place to enjoy drinks and food, but it also organises live music events on a weekly basis. 

The Jam House is split into three floors with a complete open plan design, it's a really spacious venue. If you are there to dine then on the top floor is where you can enjoy freshly cooked international cuisine, which seats over 80 people. Where we sat was quite squished next to other diners but it didn't distract us from enjoying our meal. This area of the venue has become very popular for corporate events and social/business lunches. 

The venue's live music includes jazz, blues and rock music but there's something for everyone to enjoy. 

See what's on at The Jam House, Birmingham.

For our visit we dined in the balcony restaurant that provided us with the perfect vantage point to enjoy live music (should there have been any on our visit, unfortunately there wasn't). Their menu is freshly prepared and changes seasonally, ensuring the best of flavours are enjoyed by people throughout the year. The Jam House in Birmingham even bake their own bread in house! 

The menu at The Jam House has a lot to offer in variety and they definitely impressed me with what was available for us to eat. It was definitely tricky to use and with their Summer Menu pricing up at £32 for two courses, its incredibly affordable for the standard of food that The Jam House has to offer. 

Before we began our meal the team brought over a duo white & brown loaf, stone baked focaccia &  marinated olives which were a great nibble to begin with. 

For starters we got stuck into very two delicious dishes! I went for the Charcuterie Board; a selection of cured meats, pickles, scotch egg and red pepper tapenade presented on a wooden board. It was probably one of the best starters I've had this year! I loved the combination of flavours provided by the meats with the warmth of the scotch egg. The flavours really complimented one another and I would definitely just enjoy this dish as a quick snack with a couple of G&T's, that's for sure! Jordan opted for the Crab Cakes which came with basil mayonnaise, mango, chilli and coconut. The presentation was next to none and Jordan enjoyed the fruity flavours combined from the crab and the mayonnaise. 

The BBC Good Food Show is an annual event for foodies alike to enjoy. Heading to Birmingham twice a year, their shows provide the perfect inspiration for your food and drink needs. Their flagship Winter Show is packed with top chefs and experts, the most inspiring ideas for the festive season as well as the chance to shop from hundreds of producers and brands all in one place. 

I was invited on behalf of The Ticket Factory* to check it out and what better way to get into the festive spirit than being surrounded by delicious food and drink to enjoy.

There's so much to check out at the event, some of the biggest names in food take to the Big Kitchen for live demonstrations, sharing their recipe ideas and easy inspiration to make sure your Christmas cooking stands out this year. The likes of Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry, James Martin and Tom Kerridge take to the stage this year. There's also the Winter Kitchen which gives more tips and techniques for you for the festive season. You can also attend drink tasting events whilst you are here to learn more about specific drinks, including whisky. 

One of the additions to the show that definitely draws my interest was the Skills School. This gives you the hands-on masterclasses like knife skills, sourdough making and naked cake decorating to help you become more of a whizz in the kitchen.

Birmingham's old James Brindley pub, which was one a former canal side warehouse has been restored and brought back to life this summer with the arrival of The Canal House with a helping hand from the people behind The Botanist on Temple Street. The concept has been created by inspiration taken from one of the most notable engineers and was once a pub named after the man himself, James Brindley. The venue now spreads over two floors, with 'The Engine Room' on the ground floor and the upstairs being named 'The Residency'.

Our night kicked off with a short narrow boat ride down the canal leading to the venue. On hand was someone to take us through a beer tasting session of 3 beers on offer at the new Canal House. My favourites of the talk were the Einstox Toasted Porter, an Icelandic drink that combines flavours of toffee and dark chocolate into it giving it a roasty and rich flavour with medium body. A surprisingly delicious combination of flavours I didn't expect I'd enjoy. The other beer I tried and enjoyed was the Beavertown Gamma Ray American Pale Ale whose mix of mango and grapefruit flavours into the ale made it for a juicy tropical beer that I thoroughly enjoyed. It smells so good too!

I last visited Birmingham Mailbox's Cafe Rouge restaurant at the beginning of the year when I was kindly invited to their Secret Steak Supper Club event. I was not only pleased with the standard of service from their team but their food was extremely tasty and definitely encouraged me to visit their restaurant chain again. I re-invited back to the same restaurant to sample their Summer menu along with some Gin Bloomers to wash it all down with. With the weather being glorious as it was and the restaurant doors open to look over the canal it was the perfect atmosphere for the evening.

Cafe Rouge is a French restaurant chain that brings to the table classic French dishes with a contemporary twist to the UK. I have definitely grew more of an interest in trying new dishes from the around the world, so being invited to the Secret Steak Supper Club at Birmingham's Mailbox was definitely up my street.

Located in the Mailbox, it is known as Birmingham's most stylish shopping, lifestyle and restaurant destination. It's also just a stone throw away from Birmingham's Bullring and Grand Central station. Cafe Rouge has a real vibe to it once you walk in and the team quickly ensure your seated and dealt with for your first drink.