Birmingham Social: Curry Triangle

Event report

The CIOL Midlands Network met for its monthly networking evening in the “Curry Triangle” area of Birmingham’s Sparkbrook. The venue was the “original” curry house Adil’s in Stoney Lane, where they claim to have invented that staple of British Asian cuisine, the Balti. The restaurant, in fact, serves traditional food from North Kashmir and has been operating since 1977. By all accounts it is a firm favourite amongst curry-lovers in the Midlands. Our head waiter was a bit of a character and offered us a stark choice: if we didn’t like the food, we needn’t pay; but if we did, we paid double! No one was quite sure if he was entirely serious…

The evening was spent mostly chatting, swapping anecdotes about working with languages, whether it be translating, interpreting or teaching, as there were representatives of all three professions present. As there were also a few partners and friends present, the evening was not just about work, but also about socialising and the conversation turned to other topics, like travelling, living abroad and life in general too.

The great thing about meeting over food, is to be able to share experiences in a convivial setting and when everyone is at their most relaxed and comfortable. The evening was mostly about networking, meeting new people, swapping experiences and ensuring that our members can meet others with similar jobs and career paths and ensure that our professional community can come together and make those connections which so often turn out to be the catalyst for our next adventure, career move, collaboration or simply friendship.

Eleanor Bridgwood MCIL

Join us for dinner in the heart of Birmingham's balti triangle! We have booked a table at Adil's, the city's original balti house. Please confirm attendance by emailing Midlands Network Secretary Ellie Bridgwood ACIL before 11 November. There is a car park nearby on the corner of Brunswick Road and Stoney Lane (access from Brunswick Road). Or, you can get there on the number 3 bus from Birmingham city centre. Members will be expected to pay for their own dinner and drinks.