Digbeth Dining Club is returning to Birmingham city centre - with a lunch club like no other

It’s a far cry from the back streets of Digbeth - but the latest street food concept from Birmingham’s best loved casual dining heroes is set to shake up lunch time in the city like never before.

Digbeth Dining Club is partnering with Arena Central, the skyscraper development near Broad Street and opposite Centenary Square, to launch a weekly residency called Lunch Club.

The new initiative will see the nationally acclaimed food, drink and culture brand curate a bespoke casual dining offer on the Alpha Tower plaza, aimed at office and retail workers in the city centre, as well as visitors and city residents.

Designed to improve food choices for staff from a wide range of nearby developments and businesses, including HM Government Hub, the UK headquarters of HSBC and the University of Birmingham’s The Exchange, Digbeth Dining Club presents Lunch Club will also regularly showcase some of the region’s top creative culinary talent.

When is Digbeth Dining Club presents Lunch Club opening at Arena Central and what traders can we expect to see there? 

Digbeth Dining Club is set to launch weekly food residency Lunch Club with Arena Central from Wednesday, April 10.

Disco Fries, Fat Snags, Hangry Moose, Only Jerkin’, Street Souvlaki, and Scran Man have all been confirmed for the residencies, running between 1100 and 1500 each Wednesday.

The plan is that the new concept will underline the partnership’s focus on encouraging growth for the city region’s independent hospitality industry - currently facing unprecedented trading conditions and additional social, economic and political pressures.

Rich Newman, owner of Fat Snags, said: “Digbeth Dining Club bringing out a selection of their premier street food traders will bring amazing food choices to a Wednesday lunchtime, and a taste of diversity and culture to busy business workers and visitors alike.

“We endeavour to be more than just purveyors of food but also deliver culinary experiences - connecting the people of this great city to some fantastic global flavours amidst their daily grind. We look forward to working with Lunch Club to enrich not only the palates but also the fabric of Brum’s bustling city life.”

Michael Andrew, owner of Street Souvlaki (Victoria Creperie), said: “We are excited to be serving our delicious fresh, natural, and healthy Greek BBQ souvlaki kebabs to the city's daytime workers and we are planning a menu exclusively for this event. 

“We're thrilled to be a part of it and look forward to trading alongside some of Digbeth Dining Club's top street food traders.”

David Pardoe, Place Activation Manager for Colliers who are the managing agents for Arena Central, said: “We are delighted to be working with Digbeth Dining Club on this fantastic new offering for our residents and workers as well as the wider public.”

“The Arena Central community continues to go from strength to strength and this latest partnership with one of the region’s best-known food market brands will help to solidify our position as a key destination in the city.”

What else is Digbeth Dining Club up to?

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.

Underpinning the business’s commitment to its home city, a non-profit arm utilising the expertise and skills of the team behind Hockley Social Club, Digbeth Dining Club CIC, undertakes cooking workshops, provides hot food for vulnerable people, delivers education and training, and presents community fun days across Birmingham and the Midlands.

The Lunch Club news follows a major 20-date spring and summer 2024 tour announcement by Digbeth Dining Club, which will see the award-winning team take their renowned F&B model around the West Midlands, including events at Solihull, Lichfield, Warwick, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Wolverhampton, Compton Verney, Castle Bromwich, Telford, Shirley, Dudley, Walsall and Redditch from April to July.

Jack Brabant, Director of Digbeth Dining Club, said: “This is our first foray into weekly lunch markets, so to join forces with Arena Central feels like the perfect location to showcase what DDC is all about - quality street food.

“We have a huge roster of traders that many people in Birmingham may already know of, however fundamentally this is also an opportunity for anyone who may not be able to get to our venues or events on weekends to get an easy grab-and-go lunch option.

“We hope to roll out more of these lunch clubs over the year; it's another easy way to bring the best street food in the Midlands directly to food fans.”