Birmingham Post

Double Winner ; Football Chef Scoops Two Awards for His Gastropub

Chef's Life a Game of Two Halves ; Roger Narbett Tells Richard Mccomb About Cooking for Football Stars and Running an Award-Winning Pub

The beautiful game's loss was gastronomy's gain when Roger Narbett failed to make the grade as a professional footballer. Despite being a devoted Baggies fan, Roger signed schoolboy forms with Aston Villa and impressed with his energy, if not his clinical finishing.

Getting a Taste of the Baltic ; a Birmingham Chef has Been Spreading Food Love in Latvia. Richard Mccomb Reports

It is home to Europe's largest traditional food market, not to mention the world's highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture. But gastronomy probably isn't the first thing that springs to mind when one conjures up images of Riga.

Praise for Commitment to Using Local Produce

Malbec Petit Bistro, in Stratford-upon-Avon, has been named best restaurant in the Coventry &Warwickshire Food and Drink awards 2009. Organised by Warwickshire County Council and supported by Advantage West Midlands, the awards recognise excellence in locally- sourced produce.

Scottish Farm's Treat for Lovers of Fine Beef

One of the UK's top beef farmers will be treating guests to a dinner devoted to meat from his family's single estate grass-fed herd at Opus restaurant, Birmingham. Willie Ritch and his father, George, raise their cattle - a cross of Aberdeen Angus and Limousin - at Fingask Farm on the outskirts of Aberdeen. The Limousin gives a slightly leaner presentation to the beef and the cross achieves the intense flavour and fine marbling of fat attributed to the Aberdeen Angus.

Premium Cereals Added to Cottage Delight Range

Staffordshire fine food producers Cottage Delight is expanding its range by introducing premium cereals and healthy snacks to the brand. The Leek-based company, which is a member of regional food group Heart of England Fine Foods, already produces a range of speciality preserves, chutneys, sauces and fudge using small batch methods.

Harvey Nichols Spreads Next Door for Festivities

Harvey Nichols in Birmingham has opened its annual "pop-up" Foodmarket and Gift Shop, offering shoppers indulgent ideas for a luxurious festive season. Launched in a neighbouring unit at The Mailbox, the temporary Harvey Nichols extension boasts an extensive range of top quality seasonal produce from some of the world's leading suppliers alongside own-label treats.

In 00-Heaven ; Edward Stephens On One of the Best Cars Peugeot Have Produced in a Long While

The newest model from French carmaker Peugeot has a cocktail of ingredients that is about to leave motorists looking for something completely different, both shaken and stirred. The 3008 Crossover fits loosely into the 308 line-up but because it is a unique vehicle in its own right, it has been given double-O status - so is licensed to thrill.

Net Help for Driving Test

A YouTube video feed to help learners prepare for their driving test has been launched by the Driving Standards Agency. The channel - youtube.com/ dsagov - contains road safety videos offering advice to learner drivers and other road users.

Nissan Shows Off 4x4 Wares

A website which shows off the capabilities of 4x4 vehicles has been launched by Nissan. The site, www.which4x-4areyou.co.uk, is aimed at owners of regular cars thinking of upgrading to a 4x4. They first find out "which 4x4 they are" via interactive criteria of towing weight, load capacity, number of seats and type of use.

Fiat Hits Co2 Target Five Years Early

Fiat has come top of a league of car companies for reducing average CO2 emissions from its models. The Italian car maker is the only manufacturer to have achieved the goal of reducing average emissions to below 130g/km per vehicle five years ahead of a deadline set by the EU.

Wardrobe Essentials ; Stylist Emma Wellings Points Anuji Varma in the Right Direction When It Comes to Capsule Collections

There's a few important ingredients when it comes to having the perfect wardrobe and that includes having the right capsule collections. Stylist Emma Wellings, from Style Our Souls, has given the Birmingham Post a top ten of wardrobe must-haves. It includes the all important shift dress.

Divine Tragic Tale ; the Spelling of Moctezuma's Name May Have Changed, but Richard Edmonds Says His Story Is Still Gripping

Moctezuma - Aztec Ruler by Colin McEwan and Leonardo Lopez Lujan (British Museum Press, pounds 40.00) Well, throughout my lifetime it was always spelt Montezuma, but now it's become Moctezuma - less easy to say, to my mind but, nevertheless this is the flagship name for the current exhibition at the British Museum. This is the last exhibition in the current series exploring great rulers (you may recall a book on the Roman Emperor Hadrian, which was reviewed in these columns a little while ago...

Cataclysmic Change Captured in 1800s Tale of Two Women

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (HarperCollins, pounds 15.99) The author of Girl with a Pearl Earring returns with another historical tale, this time taking us to the 1800s and the age of the dinosaur hunters. Chevalier follows her traditional path of mixing real figures from history with fictional creations in a novel which perfectly captures the excitement and uncertainty of the times.

Creating 3d Buzz

TOY STORY 3D Cert PG, 81 mins HHHHH It has been nearly 15 years since this animated adventure was released, but it is a classic which stands the test of time - and what better excuse to see it again at the cinema than its re-release in 3D. Especially for a new generation of children who have only ever seen it on DVD. It's the story of a little boy, Andy, and his toys, which can come alive whenever he is out of the room. His favourite toy is cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks), the leader of a gang which...

The Bays to Play Warwick Arts Centre

Imagine a band which doesn't make recordings, doesn't rehearse and doesn't have a set-list. Yet it has still managed to build an impressive cult reputation.

Parker Rises to the Challenge ; Cyrano Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham Hippodrome

Cyrano gets the choicest words, the best dance steps, the finest comedy and the most emotional drama, but he doesn't get the girl until the closing scene as he lies dying. Still, David Bintley's ballet based on Rostand's play Cyrano de Bergerac is a fantastic challenge for the male principal in the title role - and Robert Parker, back with Birmingham Royal Ballet after a spell as a pilot and fully fit again after injury, didn't disappoint.

Violin Joy ; Cbso Symphony Hall

For more than half a century, Feeney Trust commissions for the CBSO have been events to savour in anticipation, and the latest among these, Colin Matthews' Violin Concerto, is no exception. Beautifully written and tailored for the particular singing gifts of the soloist Leila Josefowicz, it pits a high violin tessitura against a spectacularly bespoke orchestra: a multi-divided string section deliberately low on violins, restrained brass (with mellow flugelhorns instead of piercing trumpets), ...

Make 'Em Laugh ; Talks to a Man Who Loves His Job

Michael McIntyre is in no doubt - there is no better time than now for the Birmingham Comedy Festival. "There is a definite climate for comedy at the moment," says 33-year-old Michael who performs at the National Indoor Arena on October 7, 8 and 9, and November 13 and 30. "It's a reaction to the financial crisis - or the fact that everyone jumps every time someone sneezes. Which reminds me, I must invest in an anti-bacterial gel company!

Part of History ; Sally Hoban Highlights Some of the Treasures From a Christie's Auction Exploring the World Around Us

Aforthcoming auction this month promises to capture the adventure and romance of travel, exploration, science and natural history. Christie's auctioneers will offer a fine selection of globes, artefacts, pictures, scientific instruments, books, maps and objects related to history's bravest explorers and greatest adventures on Thursday 15, October. Almost 300 lots are on offer in the sale and with estimates ranging from pounds 500 upwards, most collectors should have the chance to acquire a pi...