A Weekend in Birmingham – Cadbury World, Bullring Shopping Centre & Jamie’s Italian!

Last week I left you at Thomas Land in Drayton Manor & we were staying at the holiday Inn Express in Tamworth. We really only need one day in Thomas Land so for our second day in Birmingham we hop on a train for the 40 minute journey to the wonderful Cadbury World!

Take the train from Tamworth to Bournville, change at Birmingham New Street. Return tickets are priced at adult £10.90, child £5.45 & under 5’s free. We usually buy our train tickets on the day at the station.

Thank Crunchie!

You can buy tickets online from Cadbury World and save 5% on door prices. Online: adult £15.15, child £11.12, family (2+2) £46.36 & under 4’s are free. 

From the moment you arrive at Bournville train station you can smell the chocolaty goodness. You can follow the scent or the road signs for the short 15 minute walk to the factory!

Cadbury Adventure

While technically not a factory tour, it’s infinitely better. There are over a dozen adventures & experiences to keep you entertained for most of the day. As you enter a few of them you’ll even get free samples so you can munch your way around on the freshest Cadbury's to ever cross your lips. 

There is even a creation station where you can create your ultimate chocolate treat using a vast array of sweets & treats. Just writing that makes me want to go back for another visit.

Every time we have visited there's free live entertainment provided at the back of the factory. Everything from street dancers in the summer, to a Christmas pantomime in winter. There are also playgrounds, a restaurant & the world’s largest Cadbury shop onsite. Leave room in your suitcase for huge quantities of chocolate! (Like you don't already)

Aoife with a Chuckle Bean!

Cadbury World is decorated beautifully for Christmas. As well as the Christmas pantomime a visit to Santa with a gift is included in the ticket price. You can avail of the family Christmas dinner deal in the restaurant, only £24.95 for 4 meals & 4 drinks.

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Rather than stay in Tamworth for the second night, you could book into the Travelodge Birmingham Central Bullring. You get what you pay for in this hotel, it’s very basic but the huge plus is that it really is central. 

The Bullring shopping centre, containing over 140 shops, is literally just across the road. On the other side of the Bullring is Birmingham New Street train station with easy access to the airport. 

I booked through hotels4u.com & paid £45 for a family room. I found the proximity of the hotel to the shopping centre very handy for sending the hubby back with shopping half way through the day rather than lug it around with us - down there for dancing, up here for thinking!

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If you do go at Christmas you’ll get the added bonus of the Frankfurt Christmas Market which stretches from the Rotunda to ICC, through New Street & Victoria Square. Soaking in these smells & sights will soon have you in the festive mood.

Jamie’s Italian Birmingham

Another huge plus point for staying in the Travelodge is that Jamie’s Italian is also just across the road. We had both lunch & dinner at Jamie’s, the food is divine & reasonably priced. I think I would have stayed there if I could, rather than the hotel! As with all Jamie's, keep a keen eye out for the lemon Martini - my absolute fave. 

All in all, I'd heartily recommend Birmingham as a weekend destination you might not have considered before. It's just a short hop across the water so flights are always reasonably priced. Whether you're bringing the childer to enjoy the attractions or just skirting off on a shopping trip of your own - there's something for everyone in Brumland. 

Are you a Birmingham fan? Anything we should look out for on our next trip?

My First Slimming World Shop with Lidl Ireland

I guess one of the most daunting things about starting out on any new eating plan is the first big shop. It's usually the most expensive and the deal breaker when it comes to continuing on. We've teamed up with Lidl Ireland this week to show you my first full weeks Slimming World shop, that actually ended up being almost two weeks worth when we got to cooking. 

For less than €100 casa Cherry was stuffed to the brim with fresh, whole foods. All of which, fully traceable back to source. Enough to feed 3 hungry mouths for the guts of a fortnight. 

The foremost reason that I can get on board with the Slimming World plan is that it's basically common sense. There's no gimmickry or cardboard meal replacements just back to basics home cooking with haypes of fresh fruit, veg and meats. I can't tell you the difference the switch has made to all three of us. 

I've been cooking from scratch since I was a teen, had no choice really with two little mouths to feed. With life getting busier these days, I had been relying more and more on eating out and takeaways - it's a false economy though, that our health was paying the price for so now it's back to the beginning and I love it. 

I have no doubt that a huge contributor to the serious boost in energy we've felt is due to increased natural sugars in the copious amounts of fruit we've been enjoying. There was a time when I was inhaling sweet & savoury snacks on the couch indiscriminately and never feeling satiated. While I know that's a mental thing too, I've been loving the satisfied feeling I'm getting from snacking on sweet, fresh, colourful fruits. 

Lemons and limes have played a huge part in my water intake too. I slice them up and pop them into freezer bags in the freezer so I don't worry about wastage. There's serious refreshment to be had from a pint glass of water piled high with ice & frozen wedges. My skin is clearer, I've less headaches and I'm sure it's adding to my burgeoning energy levels. 

'So what did I do with ALL of this food' I hear you ask - here's just a taster - 

Cherries - The Slimming World Snack of CHAMPIONS

Slimming World Special Fried Rice

Warm Chicken Salad with Peppery Rocket & Radish 

Breakfast in Bed! Stir fried scrambled eggs, chock full of superfree veg with beans.
Fresh berries and chocolate/vanilla yoghurt for afters. 

As you can see there is nothing pitiful or pared back about our eats. I've never once felt deprived and haven't eaten this much in easily the past three years. The difference isn't so much quantity though as it is quality. Shopping in Lidl has made that hugely affordable too. 


The breakdown of our shop goes like this: 

You'll notice Azzurro Capsules on there, they're Lidl's new Nespresso compatible coffee pods for €1.99. I'm not too thrilled with the fact they're individually wrapped (why?!) but they taste delish. Two pods over a tall glass of ice with a splash of skimmed milk is what has been keeping my caffeine addiction in check. Chuck in a measure of Bailey's for an evening treat should you be so inclined and you can thank me later. 

Tell me, have you tried the Slimming World plan yet? Thoughts? 

Are you, like me, relying more and more on budget shopping 

to keep your bills down? 

Also, would you like to see more Slimming World posts? Ye only need holler!

*Vouchers were kindly provided

by Lidl Ireland for this post.