With a welcome glass of prosecco, fellow blogger Glamour in the County and I were shown into a buzzy room of 53 people at the Warwick Arms Hotel. Couples work colleagues and groups of friends were all ready to enjoy five Sweet As desserts,plus their signature chocolate cake.

Caroline Beresford, the hotel’s General Manager, began the evening with a charming poem hoping that we would “not be subdued into a pudding coma”, advising us to take it steady so that we would “not hit a pudding wall.”

With that in mind, our starter of mini beer battered fish, with a neat stack of chips, a smudge of pea puree and large pot of tartar sauce, was surprisingly larger than I had expected.

Our first dessert was a fresh strawberry cheesecake with a strawberry coulis and fresh strawberries. I really liked the rich, buttery base of this pudding.

Up next, the slice of pear and chocolate pudding fooled us into thinking that it would taste like a brownie, but it had a much lighter, crispier texture.

In between courses I chatted to the three ladies on the next table. They were there for a girls night out and the good quality food was a bonus. They loved their puds, so on a recommendation were trying the Pudding Society for the first time.

Glamour in the County and I were given a backstage pass to see the chefs in action. The tall Black Forest gateau, with chocolate and black cherries, was a pretty swirl of ingredients in a dessert glass. Each layer took you closer to the most moreish, solid, chocolate base. The chef told us that the decorative pattern on the dark chocolate wafer was a transfer motif, pressed onto the chocolate then cut into pieces. I don’t think he was too impressed though when I compared this culinary technique to my nail wraps!

According to Caroline the next course, of a sticky toffee pudding served with butterscotch sauce, is a big hit with customers. They would be happy to see it on the menu at every Pudding Society dinner. By hosting the evenings every three months rather than monthly, the team has a great opportunity to add new, seasonal and signature puddings to the menu – keeping it varied and tempting.

By the end of the evening I had to take up the “if you start to flag, we’ll give you a goody bag” offer and take my chocolate tasting plate home. The classic chocolate indulgence brownie, mini chocolate ganache dipped cake, a chocolate dipped strawberry and handmade chocolate truffles were a perfect way to end an evening of chocolate heaven.

The next Pudding Society event, on Friday 23rd August, will be part of Warwick Rocks Food and Film Festival. Diners can expect a film, movie style food and Sweet As desserts. http://www.sweet-as.co.uk

Last night I joined Birmingham foodies at Purnell’s Bistro to sample canapés from Glynn’s new Spring menu.

Glynn says:  “Although we have seen a delay in the wonderful produce coming through because of our reliable British weather, it is finally time to embrace the delicious, colourful ingredients of the season.

“I have decided to experiment with the new menu, showcasing different cuts of meat,
combinations and flavours. All of the dishes have been created using only the best quality ingredients to complement this time of year. ”

The new Spring menu has ham hock terrine with homemade piccalilli and confit English chicken thigh with polenta, sun-dried tomato, black olive and marjoram as some of the starter choices.

Main courses include Brixham cod “BLT” with bacon, lettuce and tomato or slow braised shoulder of lamb with Moroccan spiced couscous and red pepper purée.

Fruity dessert options include strawberry parfait with vanilla marinated strawberries and crisp meringue and a lemon and lime posset with a Cassis sorbet.

During the evening mixologist Dan, from Gingers Bar, also made three refreshing cocktails. Thyme and Elderflower Collins, Scorched Lemon Margarita and a Basil and Watermelonade.

West Country chef and cider advocate Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall explains why he uses cider in his cooking;  “Good cider apples have sweetness and acidity, as well as a spectrum of wonderful flavours ranging from the tannic to the perfumed. Crush the fruit and ferment its juice, and those flavours gain a whole new boozy, toasty, sweet-sharp dimension. Using cider in cooking is a bit like using fruit and wine and perhaps a little vinegar and a pinch of sugar all at the same time. No wonder it can bring a dish alive.”

Local cider maker Aston Manor share the love for this ingredient and have collaborated with Birmingham chefs to put some fizz into new dishes using cider.

Back in December I reported on their collaborations with Pushkar, who created the deliciously slow-roasted ‘Drunken Duck Batak’ with Malvern Oak cider. The bakers at Yorks Bakery Café also made a Toffee Apple Cider Cake with Kingstone Press cider.

Aston Manor’s latest partnership is with Fleet Street Kitchen. When head chef Steve Wakefield was invited to create a dish using Kingstone Press cider,he came up with a fabulous cider marinated lamb cutlets, on a rosemary rosti with apple jus and cider sauce.

As the UK’s largest independent cider maker, Aston Manor has more than 300 acres of orchards in Malvern. This year they are planting 1,000 acres of new orchards to add 350,000 more trees.  Managing Director Gordon Johncox said: “In our thirtieth year this is a planting scheme on an enormous scale. This both signals and supports our intention to work with growers to source the best fruit to be able to make top quality cider.”

Look out for more of their anniversary celebrations throughout the year, including the inaugural #FutureFoodies event in June.

From Farmers Markets to supper clubs and private events, Squisito share their love for Italian food and seasonal ingredients from Warwickshire all over the Midlands. http://squisito-deli.co.uk

The Jabberwocky is a green 1986 long wheelbase VW Transporter van, where Barny and Flic create their gourmet toasties. http://www.thejabberwocky.co.uk

Martin and Andy from Fresh Rootz, create healthy vegetarian and vegan food to appeal to children and adults alike. http://www.freshrootz.co.uk

Ross Bearman and Ross Whitmill from the Cotswolds create terrines and potted meats, using great British produce and traditional artisanal methods. http://www.rossandrossfood.co.uk

You can enjoy all of the winners’  tasty snacks at the BBC Good Food Show Summer from 12 – 16 June at the NEC.

ALSO AS A MIDLANDS GOURMET GIRL READER YOU CAN USE THE MGG15 CODE TO RECEIVE 15% OFF BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW SUMMER TICKETS !!https://www.theticketfactory.com/sgfs/online

For a taste of the Mediterranean, head to Café Catalan in Warwick, they cook paella in the covered, heated, patio garden on Wednesday’ s. On Thursdays you can select your choice of fish to be barbecued outdoors.

The majority of restaurants in Brindleyplace benefit from outside seating and the newest is Piccolino, who recently opened a new terrace. This is an outdoor lounge with stylish seating and a cocktail bar for 40 customers that can be enjoyed all year round, thanks to the heaters and glass partition walls.

Views over the river and Guys Cliffe give The Saxon Mill in Warwick its picturesque setting and a popular place to start or finish a long stroll. There is a good variety of salads, pizza and pasta options. One of my favourites is the Mediterranean Mezze of Baba ghanoush, harissa hummus, tzatziki, chermoula crusted flatbread and hazelnut dukkah crusted aubergines. http://www.saxonmill.co.uk

The Bell sits in the heart of Alderminster, a picturesque village on the outskirts of the historic market town. This traditional country pub and restaurant with individual boutique bed and breakfast accommodation is part of the Alscot Estate. Here you can eat and drink in the spacious country pub garden. www.thebellald.co.uk

When its Pimms o’clock, the Alice in Wonderland inspired sheltered rear courtyard at The Jekyll & Hyde gin palace is the place to go.If you reserve a table for the Mad Hatters Tea Party, the sharing cocktails will be served in tea pots, watering cans and bath tubs! www.thejekyllandhyde.co.uk

Returning from a long weekend away to a full inbox, two invitations stood out – the launch of the Spring menu at Purnell’s Bistro on Wednesday 15 May and the Sweet As Pudding Society the day after. I’m looking forward to updating the blog with these new features next week.

I’ve added a trio of events for wine and gin lovers in Birmingham and Leamington Spa onto the Drinks page.

Soul Food Project has been serving a taste of Deep South from The Hare & Hounds, The Victoria and pop-up events in Birmingham for more than three years. Diners who have tucked into SFP gumbos at festivals and taster evenings can now look forward to a new, extended menu in a permanent location.

In February, armed with set of knifes and a hunger for some jamba, Head Chef Carl Finn went to New Orleans, searching for new foods and styles of cooking. He wanted to bring back some of the city’s world famous hospitality to put in to Soul Foods new joint, The Church Inn.

Carl says: “For all of the food and music events we run we just wanted a place for it all. We searched everywhere, from the city centre to Sutton Coldfield, but we kept coming back to the Jewellery Quarter.”

The site that they have taken over is an Everards pub, on Great Hampton Street, just a few doors up from The Lord Clifden.

“The Jewellery Quarter is a burgeoning area and stood out for us for being a place where people worked, lived and went out. From what our Soul Food Project customers and Jewellery Quarter residents have told us, there is definitely an appetite for us here. This is where we drink too, so it already feels like home.”

So what will be on the menu?

“For The Church Inn our food will have more of a gastro appeal, with crayfish boil (a stew of shellfish, corn and new potatoes seasoned with garlic and hot sauce) and speciality dishes. The week I spent in New Orleans was great. We had such a good time that we’re going back every year for menu inspiration and we’ll take customers with us. From the brass bands to go crocodile hunting in the bays if folks want to go we’ll do it!”

That sense of adventure, fun and love of the avant garde continues throughout The Church Inn. With a secret bar hidden in the building, a roof terrace for film nights, Friday and Saturday night DJs, special pop-ups and the return of the Lust Lectures, the team are promising an interactive pub. You can also just have a quiet pint or glass of wine from local suppliers.

The Church Inn is scheduled to open on 25 May, check http://thechurchinnjq.co.uk and @churchJQ for updates. When The Church Inn is open, The Soul Food Project will continue to serve food from The Victoria.

“This year marks the tenth anniversary of the OFM Awards, in which you get the chance to vote for the unsung heroes of the food world, the local retailers and restaurants who deserve to be recognised. This is a difficult time for the food business and if we can help give a louder voice to those who are putting everything into making great food, then the whole thing will be worthwhile.”

The OFM awards celebrate a passion for quality, creativity and innovation. There are eleven categories, from food photography to young chefs, with new ones added this year, including the best independent local farmer in the UK which is designed to celebrate excellence in small-scale food production, whether meat, dairy or arable.

For category details, voting and a chance to win a selection of culinary prizes, visit www.observer.co.uk/food-awards

There is even a category for Best Food Blog (hint, hint)……..

Read more about them on the Drinks page.