How Digbeth Dining Club transformed the West Midlands food scene

DDC started out in 2012 and has expaned across the Midlands

News of Digbeth Dining Club's (DDC) latest new venture - a huge new permanent canalside venue in the Black Country - was warmly received this week.

At a time of continuing challenges for the hospitality industry, the street food pioneers have unveiled their boldest plan yet.

Since their humble beginnings in a Digbeth car park in 2012, the team behind DDC has become renowned for experimenting with new venues and bringing street food events to cities, towns and villages across the West Midlands, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places.

Co-founder James Swinburne said the planned move to Dockworks Waterfront in Brierley Hill, Dudley, a venture that will create 50 jobs and transform a derelict site, was about getting back to basics.

"We want to go back to our roots and what we're really good at, which is nurturing street food traders, merging businesses and independents," he said.

Their latest venture is a canalside spot that has been empty for the last 15 years

It is no exaggeration to say DDC has spearheaded the street food scene in Birmingham and beyond.

In what is now Mama Roux in Lower Trinity Street, Deritend, the dining club hosted four food trucks in a car park, with little infrastructure and power, on a Friday night.

The idea of Birmingham's workers clocking off and sitting on benches alongside friends and colleagues sharing loaded fries and imaginative burgers caught on.

"It was always about discovering proper food and independent traders, I think at the time Birmingham was sort of led by a lot of chain restaurants," said James, who co-founded the business with Jack Brabant.

Thai food supremos Buddha Belly and burger kings Original Patty Men are among the many entrepreneurs that started life there and went on to have their own permanent restaurants.

DDC started out in Spotlight, now known as Mama Roux, in Lower Trinity Street

The team moved away from their Digbeth home in 2021 as the Covid pandemic took hold, deciding instead to take over an old factory in Hockley which allowed for easier social distancing.

"The venue became our saviour during Covid," said James. "We were able to operate a click and collect food service before we expanded the use of the space."

Customers would queue outside two metres apart, make their selection and take home a tasty bag of food - for many it was the height of excitement when the hospitality industry had all but closed.

The venue paved the way for the hugely popular Hockley Social Club, which, as well as serving street food and drinks, has hosted a variety of events including Birmingham Royal Ballet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

DDC have 200 traders on their books

But all good things come to and end and Hockley Social Club closes at the end of the year, and with this week's Waterfront announcement, it's beginning to make sense.

"We do love it [Hockley Social Club] and we've really enjoyed the diversity of events we put in here, from ballet to reggea, sound system culture and comedy," said James.

"All the rotating street food traders that we've had come through the door and different event's we've done [but] we need to get back to our USP - which is street food.

"We've got up to 200 traders on our books and that's what our strength is," he added.

Over the years, DDC has organised events across the region, including Warwick Castle, Lightwoods Park in Bearwood, Shirley Park, Himley Hall and Compton Verney.

After a successful pop-up in Longbridge, the team decided a permanent move would be worth their while, opening Herbert's Yard at the end of 2021.

The venue paved the way for the hugely popular Hockley Social Club

It has eight traders operating there and occupies a prominent space on the business park that houses Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and Poundland.

"We want to bring the culture to places seen as quite concrete sterile places," said James.

"By having the opportunity to put a day market [in Longbridge] on a Saturday, we saw that there was real interest for people to come get street food alongside maybe visiting the shopping area."

And now it's the Black Country's turn for a bit of the Digbeth Dining Club magic.

The 450-capacity Dockworks Waterfront is a 7,000 sq ft (659 sq m) space, which will span two rooms and create up to 50 jobs.

It will offer live music, comedy events, quizzes, sports screenings and independent markets, alongside food traders.

The venture is transforming the former Round Oak Steelworks, a canalside spot that has been empty for the last 15 years.

It is due to open early next year, and after other successes, the future is definitely looking bright for the DDC team and the myriad food specialists they work alongside.

"We've worked with people who are starting out or they're doing this as a bit of a project to start with, and then they become successful, that's what we love," he said.