Saqib Bhatti MP officially opens Chelmsley Wood culinary school and eatery | News

December 2025

Chelmsley Starters and Bluebell Wood officially opened by Saqib Bhatti MP

By Claire Huggins

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Read time: approx 7 mins

Friday 5 December saw the official opening of Bluebell Wood, the brand new eatery opened at Chelmsley Wood Shopping Centre by University College Birmingham (UCB). To mark the occasion, a formal ribbon-cutting was undertaken by Saqib Bhatti, Conservative MP for Meriden and Solihull East.

“I’ve been wanting to bring what University College Birmingham had, to Chelmsley Wood for a long time,” said Mr Bhatti. “I knew we had some great young people in the area that deserved an opportunity on their doorstep and UCB got my vision straight away. This project is a real game-changer as far as I am concerned. We have some great hospitality venues in this area that are crying out for talent and that’s what we’ve got, right here in Chelmsley Wood.”

Main photo L-R:

Michael Wiseman, Chair of the UCB Corporation; Karen Grinsell, Leader of Solihull Council; Adam Pickett, UCB Interim Head of Department and chef lecturer; Saqib Bhatti MP; Ian Courts, Deputy Leader of Solihull Council and Professor Rosa Wells, FE Principal and Dean for STEM at UCB.

Saqib Bhatti chats with chef lecturer, Dan Androne.

Next door to Bluebell Wood is the purpose-built culinary school, Chelmsley Starters, where students on the ‘Introduction to Hospitality’ courses are boosting their skills and confidence in a professional kitchen environment. And it was the hard work of the students that stole the show; in early to prepare and cook the food, the compliments flowed thick and fast for menu delights that included: beef croquettes with mustard mayo, classic fish ‘n’ chips and a vegan cauliflower katsu, all topped off with a choice of soft drinks or the mocktails ‘virgin mojito’ and a seasonally inspired ‘cranberry ginger fizz with a sugar-rolled rosemary garnish’.

Student Kaleb Pender (pictured) is on the course for those aged 19 and over, he said: “Learning how to plate up the menu dishes as mini versions was new to me. I really enjoyed learning that how to do that.”

Joining Mr Bhatti, guests on the day included: Leader of Solihull Council, Karen Grinsell; Solihull Council Deputy Leader, Ian Courts; Portfolio Holder for Economy, Business and Skills at Solihull Council, Heather Delaney and Michael Wiseman, Chair of the UCB Corporation.

“Solihull Council’s Employment and Skills Team are working with over 600 people a year in Solihull, helping them to gain skills and get them into employment,” explained Councillor Grinsell.

“This project started out as just a little idea which very quickly gathered momentum due to the help of all the people here today. It is amazing how quickly things can happen, and we can start to transform lives. The young people here are incredible!

“I’d like to thank everyone that’s been involved. It’s a great project and I am excited to see what more we can do together in the future.”

"This project is a real game-changer as far as I am concerned. We have some great hospitality venues in this area that are crying out for talent and that’s what we’ve got, right here in Chelmsley Wood."

Saqib Bhatti Conservative MP for Meriden and Solihull East

Identified as a social mobility cold spot, Chelmsley Wood (and the neighbouring Smith’s Wood area) has a wealth of opportunities in the hospitality sector on the doorstep, with employers such as Birmingham Airport, the NEC, Resorts World and several hotels, all within easy reach for residents.

“If I have one takeaway message from today, it’s to all the employers out there – the whole point of this project is to get these students into work, they are looking for jobs and want to work. So, if you’re employing or know someone who is, please come and have a conversation with me,” said Adam Pickett, Interim Head of Department and chef lecturer for UCB.

“The locals here have really got behind us; it’s a real community hub already and we’ve only been open a few weeks. There are so many people I have to thank, but at the end of the day, it is all about the students, our Chelmsley Starters – they are doing an amazing job and making this place a very special one.”

The inclusive event was designed as an ‘open house’ opportunity for guests to really explore what the Chelmsley Starters school and Bluebell Wood eatery have to offer, with regular tours through the kitchens and back-of-house areas. The project has come a long way since the spring, when the units were empty shells and chalk marks on the floor were the only things suggesting the location of preparation stations, Hobart cooking line and dining spaces.

“I really appreciate everyone coming along today,” said Professor Rosa Wells, FE Principal and Dean of STEM at UCB, in her closing remarks.

“The support that we’ve had from Saqib as MP, and the council has been amazing. I would also like to thank the West Midlands Combined Authority; they worked with us to ensure that the adult course was right and funded correctly so that the students were able to access the top quality training from Adam and the team, at no cost to them.
“I must also thank the University’s Corporation board of governors – they trusted us with this new project that hadn’t been done before and fully invested in it – their support for us doing something a little bit different is really appreciated.

“Everything has come together here, and I think this is a real example of how we can do something in a community, for a community. This shopping centre is a vitally important space for the people who live and work here, and we’re so excited at how this has come together and the brilliant start that it’s had.”

Find out more about the Chelmsley Starters culinary school.