NEW CAFÉ OPENS AT BIRDLAND PARK & GARDENS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE Rugby World Cup winner-turned-chef Phil Vickery has unveiled a new café at Birdland Park & Gardens in Gloucestershire. The Nest Kitchen and Café officially opened in December 2023 and Vickery, a former England captain who played for Gloucester for 11 years, now works for food service company Creed, who will be supplying the café with a mouthwatering selection of hot and cold options. There will be a daily selection of sandwiches and salads and for something warmer during the winter months, there’s the chance to load your potato or rice with tasty toppings including pulled pork, beef chilli or halloumi. The Bourton-on-the-Water attraction has also created a Changing Places facility, a fully accessible toilet to help visitors with limited mobility. Birdland general manager Simon Cox said: “We’re always looking to make improvements to make the visitor experience as enjoyable as possible and the newly-renovated café and toilet are great examples of that. We are open all year round so we want to ensure that everyone who comes to visit us has a day to remember.” The Penguin Shore enclosure, which underwent a dramatic redesign in 2022, is home to Birdland’s resident celebrity, Spike the King Penguin. The 16-year-old star has recently won the title of Most Popular Penguin in the World, which was revealed exclusively live on BBC programme The One Show. His subsequent coronation ceremony was then reported on by BBC 5 Live radio presenter Colin Murray, who is a big fan of the park. Spike now has more than 18,000 Facebook followers. The park’s magical combination of wildlife, woodland, riverside and gardens makes it the perfect day out during the six-week recess. Among the exciting schedule of daily entertainments are penguin, pelican and flamingo feeding displays, where visitors can find out all about the different species, what they like to eat, who is the most mischievous of the flock and fascinating insights from Birdland’s team of expert keepers. The Out of Africa area provides the opportunity to meet a variety of exotic species such as black-checked love birds, a colony of village weavers, touracos, spreo starlings, guinea fowl, exotic ducks and the bizarre-looking ground hornbills. Prehistoric adventures await intrepid explorers and those brave enough to venture into the Jurassic Journey. Spot species including T-Rex and brachiosaurus through the trees and look up high into the canopies for a glimpse of the pterodactyls flying above. Birdland opens every day of the year (apart from Christmas Day) at 10 am, www.birdland.co.uk SOUS CHEF AT THE CASTLE INN, IEUAN DAVIES, APPEARED ON MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS The Castle Inn in Castle Coombe, Wiltshire is delighted to share news that its very own sous chef, Ieuan Davies, cooked his way through to MasterChef: The Professionals becoming a MasterChef: The Professionals Quarter Finalist. Finding his passion for cooking at an early age, Ieuan embarked on his culinary journey at the age of 16, accumulating diverse experiences at renowned establishments across the UK. Motivated by a desire for personal growth and a love for the culinary arts, Ieuan chose to participate in MasterChef: The Professionals. Competitions, for him, are not only a measure of his skills but also a source of excitement in his daily culinary pursuits. MasterChef: The Professionals is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. www.exclusive.co.uk/the-castle-inn 10
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