Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Walmley_Villa on June 17, 2015, 07:50:28 PM
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Sad to see this is closing. Have been previously and will be celebrating my lad's 18th there a week Sunday. Fantastic food at a great price with one of the best views in the world.
Conspiracy theories regarding a takeover, off you go
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What is VMF, is it like IMF. I hate when people use anacronyms OMG FFS
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Need to know basis....
Villa Midlands Food training restaurant at Villa Park
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What is VMF, is it like IMF. I hate when people use anacronyms OMG FFS
It's the restaurants actual name at the Villa, Villa Midlands Food I think in full. It's sad to see it going, I've been twice also and it was great.
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From the Post:
'A club spokesperson said VMF was a five-year project and was closing as it had run its course.'
Seventh best Birmingham restaurant on Trip Advisor. Strange.
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I've been twice and had fantastic food/ service both times. Any reasons given for closing ?
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I've been twice and had fantastic food/ service both times. Any reasons given for closing ?
End of a project, sounds like bullshit.
Maybe the space is going to be utilised by new owners for other means, maybe i'm grasping at straws.
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From the Post:
'A club spokesperson said VMF was a five-year project and was closing as it had run its course.'
In which case close the club down. Most people would think we've run our course this past five years of gruesomeness.
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Hasnt everyone been put on notice / under consultation down the villa (players and management aside) .
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Unbelievable.
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Hasnt everyone been put on notice / under consultation down the villa (players and management aside) .
No.
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I would guess a restaurant open 3 days a week hasn't made a bean in 5 years.
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I would guess a restaurant open 3 days a week hasn't made a bean in 5 years.
And five years might be when their grants ran out.
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Sad news having been there three times with the family and always very pleased with the food, service and ambience. I think Dave has probably hit the nail on the head (above), albeit I did hear a rumour that we're on the brink of re-signing Gareth Barry and he's demanded the area for his pre-match meal.
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One of the things we've said about the latter Lerner years is that so often we get the football-related stuff wrong, but the off-pitch stuff very right.
VMF struck me as a really good example of this, on a lot of grounds.
Which is what makes it sad that it is being canned. That "it was only ever going to run for five years" thing is quite obviously horseshit, though, they must think we're stupid.
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One of the things we've said about the latter Lerner years is that so often we get the football-related stuff wrong, but the off-pitch stuff very right.
VMF struck me as a really good example of this, on a lot of grounds.
Which is what makes it sad that it is being canned. That "it was only ever going to run for five years" thing is quite obviously horseshit, though, they must think we're stupid.
Why do you immediately assume that they're lying?
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One of the things we've said about the latter Lerner years is that so often we get the football-related stuff wrong, but the off-pitch stuff very right.
VMF struck me as a really good example of this, on a lot of grounds.
Which is what makes it sad that it is being canned. That "it was only ever going to run for five years" thing is quite obviously horseshit, though, they must think we're stupid.
Why do you immediately assume that they're lying?
I don't immediately assume anything, but in the case, I don't believe them on the basis that there's never been any mention of it before, and it sounds like a convenient excuse to can it now.
Why, for example, didn't we hear any mention of it closing in the run up to now? Why no "get your VMF experience before the project ends" style marketing?
That and the fact that for about five years now, anything that happens at the club and isn't money making has been canned. It started with the way they spent four years telling us they were sorting out a "museum" which then got downgraded to "a trophy room" (remember all that "Randy is paying for a replica European Cup to be made" stuff), which then got downgraded to "we'll look at it on the basis of whether it can stand up for itself financially".
That's been the problem with the club for five years now - dour, cheap and minimalist.
I don't expect, for example, us to have some sort of British Museum tacked on to the back of the North Stand, but I find it pretty incredible that we don't even have a proper trophy room.
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One of the things we've said about the latter Lerner years is that so often we get the football-related stuff wrong, but the off-pitch stuff very right.
VMF struck me as a really good example of this, on a lot of grounds.
Which is what makes it sad that it is being canned. That "it was only ever going to run for five years" thing is quite obviously horseshit, though, they must think we're stupid.
Why do you immediately assume that they're lying?
I don't immediately assume anything, but in the case, I don't believe them on the basis that there's never been any mention of it before, and it sounds like a convenient excuse to can it now.
Why, for example, didn't we hear any mention of it closing in the run up to now? Why no "get your VMF experience before the project ends" style marketing?
That and the fact that for about five years now, anything that happens at the club and isn't money making has been canned. It started with the way they spent four years telling us they were sorting out a "museum" which then got downgraded to "a trophy room" (remember all that "Randy is paying for a replica European Cup to be made" stuff), which then got downgraded to "we'll look at it on the basis of whether it can stand up for itself financially".
That's been the problem with the club for five years now - dour, cheap and minimalist.
I don't expect, for example, us to have some sort of British Museum tacked on to the back of the North Stand, but I find it pretty incredible that we don't even have a proper trophy room.
You've just said that they must think we're stupid to believe them, which seems to me like accusing them of lying. I don't know why it's closing, none of us does. Maybe they didn't announce it beforehand because they didn't want to lose trade. Maybe someone somewhere has ticked a box and decided that the co-operation they get from outside agencies is going elsewhere; the fact that five years is a convenient period of time might make that more credible. We don't know.
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Big shame. Was a nice place to eat. I'd imagine that despite being a place where many of us would be happy to eat, Villa Park is not the obvious place to go for a meal.
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Maybe they didn't announce it beforehand because they didn't want to lose trade.
I can't think of any other well-reviewed restaurants that if they announce that they are closing their doors it mean that fewer people want to go and eat there while they are still open.
Why would they lose any trade?
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Big shame. Was a nice place to eat. I'd imagine that despite being a place where many of us would be happy to eat, Villa Park is not the obvious place to go for a meal.
I think the main problem, and this cuts across VMF, the Holte Hotel and going back to when there were gigs in the North Stand suites, on non-matchdays Villa Park can be a bugger to get to and at night it's not very welcoming.
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Maybe they didn't announce it beforehand because they didn't want to lose trade.
I can't think of any other well-reviewed restaurants that if they announce that they are closing their doors it mean that fewer people want to go and eat there while they are still open.
Why would they lose any trade?
Because people don't want to be associated with a perceived failure, they think the reason for it closing is because of poor trade (and therefore it's not as good as it was), and once it's shutting they won't bother keeping standards as high. There's three reasons.
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Maybe they didn't announce it beforehand because they didn't want to lose trade.
I can't think of any other well-reviewed restaurants that if they announce that they are closing their doors it mean that fewer people want to go and eat there while they are still open.
Why would they lose any trade?
Because people don't want to be associated with a perceived failure, they think the reason for it closing is because of poor trade (and therefore it's not as good as it was), and once it's shutting they won't bother keeping standards as high. There's three reasons.
Restaurant VMF
4.5 of 5 stars
324 Reviews
#7 of 1,603 Restaurants in Birmingham
#9 of 1,705 Places to Eat in Birmingham
People on the whole aren't idiots. The above aren't the reviews of a place that people don't want to eat because of perceived failure, poor trade or a drop in standards.
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Maybe they didn't announce it beforehand because they didn't want to lose trade.
I can't think of any other well-reviewed restaurants that if they announce that they are closing their doors it mean that fewer people want to go and eat there while they are still open.
Why would they lose any trade?
Because people don't want to be associated with a perceived failure, they think the reason for it closing is because of poor trade (and therefore it's not as good as it was), and once it's shutting they won't bother keeping standards as high. There's three reasons.
Restaurant VMF
4.5 of 5 stars
324 Reviews
#7 of 1,603 Restaurants in Birmingham
#9 of 1,705 Places to Eat in Birmingham
People on the whole aren't idiots. The above aren't the reviews of a place that people don't want to eat because of perceived failure, poor trade or a drop in standards.
It's a good job I didn't say that then, isn't it?
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If anything, announcing its imminent closure might entice all those people who have been meaning to try this highly-rated restaurant but hadn't got around to it. It all seems rather sudden and a little strange.
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If anything, announcing its imminent closure might entice all those people who have been meaning to try this highly-rated restaurant but hadn't got around to it.
Well, quite.
It's very unlikely to make anybody say "there's a brilliantly reviewed restaurant that we've not been to? Which everybody says has excellent service, atmosphere and food? And it's closing down? Well, that must be because of a drop in standards, we'd better not eat there before it closes forever".
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Emboldening is mine, and may provide, in the words of 70's prog rock combo Atomic Rooster, a clue to the answer we all chase.
Birmingham Post (http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/aston-villas-popular-restaurant-vmf-9476197)
Aston Villa's popular Restaurant VMF to close
The restaurant - rated Birmingham's seventh-best on Tripadvisor - closes its doors for the last time in July
18:34, 17 June 2015
By Graeme Brown
Aston Villa's much-loved Restaurant VMF will close forever in a month's time despite a five-year tenure which has seen it win a host of awards.
The Villa Park restaurant closes its doors for the final time on July 19 – despite occupying the lofty position of Birmingham's seventh best-rated restaurant on Tripadvisor.
A club spokesperson said VMF was a five-year project and was closing as it had run its course.
However, it marks a skills blow in one of the city's biggest pockets of deprivation as the restaurant was largely run by apprentices from under-privileged backgrounds who both prepare and serve the food.
VMF - Villa Midlands Food - was established in October 2010 as a training restaurant, offering a way into the hospitality sector for young people living within a ten-mile radius of the stadium who are not in education, employment or training (NEETS).
It was reportedly a pet project of multi-millionaire owner Randy Lerner who has now put the club up for sale.
When it was established, Mr Lerner told the Post senior officials at the club felt morally obliged to put something back into the community.
He said they wanted to demonstrate a "sustainable commitment" to the Aston neighbourhood and the idea of a training restaurant was born.
He said at the time: "VMF is a very visible aspect of what the Aston Villa philosophy is all about. We firmly believe that our football club should be a central pillar of the local community.
"We now have a high calibre restaurant which provides young people from the local area the practical skills and experience to have a rewarding career in hospitality. This is good for both the club and for future generations."
The VMF project saw apprentices spend two years with Aston Villa Hospitality and Events, working toward a level two NVQ Diploma in Hospitality Services with Walsall College.
While learning the ropes in food preparation and service, the trainees are encouraged to muck in at Villa's allotment plot just over a mile away in Brookvale Road, growing seasonal produce to be used in the kitchen.
The restaurant has received a substantial haul of awards in its first three years, including the top gong at the Football Hospitality Awards as well as a Green Apple Environment Award.
When it was established, it became the first hospitality training establishment to be set up by a football team and served up to 50 covers.
It is presently rated the seventh place in Birmingham on Tripadvisor rog rock combo with 265 out of 324 reviews handing out five stars.
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Any chance we can stop bickering? Vmf was highly regarded and spoken about.
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I spoilt my bluenose neighbours excitement about his new car a couple of years ago by pointing out his reg ended in VMF and explaining to him what it stood for.
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If a restaurant closing that most of us have never been to or have never planned on visiting is the worst thing to happen this summer then I'm happy*.
*Obviously sorry for any people losing their jobs but I honestly didn't know where it was or what it was called until clicking on this thread.
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Shame - went back in April and it was really nice.
We're booked again for Saturday with Parents and In Laws.
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Gutted been about 10 times. Think it is excellent. Managed to get a seat for the last night.
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What a shame, went there twice and really enjoyed it.
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To my shame I've seen the excellent reviews, knew where it was and what it was about and have still never been.
Nice idea but VP, match days aside, isn't an area you'd want to make the effort to travel to, which is why I fear for the Aston Tavern as well.
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I know it's not the best area but living in Erdington I've taken my little one Aston park and hall a fair few times on non match days and we've had a great time, it's a decent park with a view that can't be beat, bag of chips, game of football. What more could you want!
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Better news:
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/aston-villa-pledge-keep-up-9480759
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Very good news, Percy.
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Eaten there a couple of times and food and service was excellent, they even brought me two courses extra for free.
Let's hope they open up something else in its place.
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Martin O'Neil have a five year plan that wasn't a five year plan and now we have something that wasn't a five year plan becoming a five year plan. Stalin will be spinning in his grave.
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I think it is to do with the New Owners not wanting it and not wanting their first decision to be closing a Restaurant.
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The menus have always looked hit and miss for my taste buds, but I've always wanted to go and will try to get down there before it closes.
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We'very been there tonight for our anniversary & it was great.
They say bookings are well up since the closure was announced.
Maybe it'l be lime 6 music, people only realised they needed to keep it when it was going, and as a result of that it ended up not going.
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Maitre D reckoned Lerner didn't know it was earmarked for closure and was hopeful that the decision would be reversed.
A terrific, much needed project offering good experience to young staff. It can't be based on not making a profit, if you don't make a profit out of food you're not doing it right and VMF do it very well.
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Better news:
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/aston-villa-pledge-keep-up-9480759
Yep. It is.
We went last Saturday and the food was very good. As others have sited, it is really heartening to see young people there who are enthusiastic about work. From my own experience, working in an environment like that gives a good grounding and helps you grow up quickly
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Maitre D reckoned Lerner didn't know it was earmarked for closure and was hopeful that the decision would be reversed.
A terrific, much needed project offering good experience to young staff. It can't be based on not making a profit, if you don't make a profit out of food you're not doing it right and VMF do it very well.
Hope so.
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Shame - went back in April and it was really nice.
We're booked again for Saturday with Parents and In Laws.
and me lol
gutted its closing
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...As others have sited, it is really heartening to see young people there who are enthusiastic about work. From my own experience, working in an environment like that gives a good grounding and helps you grow up quickly
I couldn't agree more.
I've been there a few times and it was very good.
Very sad it's closing as it was a good thing to do.
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Went to VMF for the first time for my bday last weekend...surroundings were obviously excellent, food was ok (not as good as expected), and service was great until we had to wait 45 minutes for dessert.
Anyway, he's a great pic of Villa Park I'd like to share from the day...
(http://i59.tinypic.com/10dyzo2.jpg)
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Went to VMF for the first time for my bday last weekend...surroundings were obviously excellent, food was ok (not as good as expected), and service was great until we had to wait 45 minutes for dessert.
Anyway, he's a great pic of Villa Park I'd like to share from the day...
(http://i59.tinypic.com/10dyzo2.jpg)
A good family get together for first visit on it's last day.
Perhaps someone will have the idea of resurrecting VMF as a French themed restaurant in
view of the recent signings?! After all the French have a reputation for loving excellent quality food!!
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That is sad news. Excellent restaurant. The puddings were out of this world.
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Went to VMF for the first time for my bday last weekend...surroundings were obviously excellent, food was ok (not as good as expected), and service was great until we had to wait 45 minutes for dessert.
Anyway, he's a great pic of Villa Park I'd like to share from the day...
(http://i59.tinypic.com/10dyzo2.jpg)
Did you go on the Saturday? I was there if so with the wife.
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There's a new project starting up now. Along similar lines but with accountancy rather than food/catering.
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(https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipORFxVMYyHqyQbFJKShVKarsjECJStKTgFJzJYGLk-8fbKjg7PvDC7xEoXPleMtrA/photo/AF1QipOxSICWd3sPMY3xxhn4dNAo69iJNFAO5W6fn9a2)