– Tens of thousands of food and drink fans expected to descend on cities and towns across six counties for DDC Summer Tour ‘24 in August and September
– Event locations include Birmingham and the Black Country, Solihull, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire
– Over 150 DDC Midlands food traders, mobile bars, suppliers and venues have seen a jump in business, bookings and engagement over the summer
– 45,000 foodies have attended Digbeth Dining Club events during June and July 2024, boosting local suppliers, transport, community, and hospitality
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Tens of thousands of food and drinks fans across central England are anticipated to attend a series of award-winning Digbeth Dining Club events over the coming months, supporting local independent businesses and joining communities in the process.
The Birmingham-based events company embarks on a further fifteen-date Summer Tour ‘24 across the UK Midlands throughout August and September 2024, including locations in Birmingham and the Black Country, Solihull, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
The late summer tour, which takes place amidst a challenging backdrop for independent dining and hospitality businesses, will see the Birmingham-based events company work with hundreds of UK traders from an overall pool of 110 food traders and mobile bars, as well as 40 suppliers and businesses, to deliver premium dining experiences at landmarks such as Compton Verney, Warwick Castle, and Worcester Cathedral Square.
Around 45,000 foodies have already attended Digbeth Dining Club events across the Midlands throughout June and July 2024, leading to a significant uplift in trade and spend for independent food, drinks and event businesses in and around DDC locations.
Significant Midlands attractions and venues including Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, Lightwood Park, Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club, and Warwick Castle have all seen an increase in consumer spend before, during and after DDC visits, as well as community cohesion.
John Mostyn, Business Development Manager for historic landmark destination Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust, hosted a Digbeth Dining Club event in June featuring 12 traders, live music and entertainment.
Mr Mostyn said: “Working on two events so far this year with Digbeth Dining Club has been a joy, their events team bring an object lesson in organisation and great delivery on the day with charm and great humour. Their chosen traders bring great food choices that ensure there is something to suit everyone.
“The events generated the largest number of visitors to the gardens of any event in the garden’s history, leaving many first time visitors now knowing where we are and what we offer, which I’m sure will have an ongoing impact on visitor numbers.”
Emma Ord is a committee member at Sutton Coldfield Recreational Trust (SCRT) which oversees Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club. The Walmley Road ground hosts DDC in early August following a successful June event.
Ms Ord said, “SCRT is all about bringing the local community together, just like DDC. Working with a trusted and well recognised partner like DDC has brought local people to our site who may have not even known we were there, or the large range of facilities and clubs we have to offer.
“Following DDC events, we’re aware of people who have joined clubs on site. There has also been an uplift in the number of people hiring our function and meeting spaces. When chatting to people parking their cars, queuing for food or visiting our clubhouse bar, it’s amazing the number of people who tell us they didn’t know what our site had to offer before attending an DDC event.”
Event operations professional Ms Ord added: “It’s integral that SCRT works with independent traders and businesses on events such as DDC. Post Covid, it’s now more important than ever to diversify our offering to continue providing a space to bring the local community together – and put on great events which make them want to come and visit us!”
Independent food traders including Beef on the Block, Fat Snags and Only Jerkin are long-term regulars at Digbeth Dining Club events, having grown with the events company since its inception in Birmingham in 2012.
Dani Page, founder-director of Midlands-based award-winning street food and catering service Beef on the Block working with Digbeth Dining Club since 2019, said: “Being a trader on the DDC roster really is our bread and butter and the backbone of our business. It gives us the security of not having to scramble around finding gigs at the last minute.
The business owner, who use British produce including from renowned Coventry butchers Aubrey Allen as well as farmers and suppliers from across the region, explained: “Often events are booked in 4-6 months prior and the events are without fail always busy so it allows us to forecast ahead for the next few months and manage our cash flow – not something you can usually do in this industry.
“The volume of events DDC offer is helpful too – more often than not we are doing three to four days with them a week over the summer.”
Drawing on the experience of delivering thousands of events in Birmingham and across the Midlands over 12 years via the acclaimed Digbeth Dining Club brand, the team of dedicated food, culture, drink, and hospitality professionals are based at permanent home Hockley Social Club in the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter.
Hockley Social Club now employs around 80 professionals across its operation, as part of its commitment to ensuring further employment, job security, and skills development across the city’s arts, culture, food, hospitality, music and night time economies.
Jack Brabant, director of Digbeth Dining Club, said, “With the rollout of an additional 15 dates for our events across the Midlands in August and September 2024, we hope to not just benefit the traders within our footprint, but increase footfall and spend more generally at each location.
“We know DDC patrons use public transport, visit nearby retail and other hospitality businesses, and generally engage with visitor economies more frequently around our events, even if they are local residents.
“Two key pillars of our business model are to work with independent companies to improve inward investment through partnership working, and improve community cohesion through affordable experiences – so we are delighted to see that our summer tour is having such a positive impact on our brilliant places and people in the Midlands.”
See all Digbeth Dining Club Summer Tour ’24 dates at https://digbethdiningclub.com