There’s no better way to bring people together than the promise of food and drink and if you’re after the epitome of people drinking, eating and socialising, look no further than Stable Birmingham. They go together in terms of a socialising plus in the same way that shamalanama goes with dingdong, Posh goes with Becks and Ben goes with Jerry. Throw the two together with a group of people (or even two) and you have the basics for a good old fashioned catch up or even a first date. When the drink is cider and the food is pizza, then in my carb loving body, you’re onto a winner. Which is why I’ve headed to Stable the last two times I’ve been in Birmingham.

The first time was with fellow blogger Naomi after a few glasses of wine and a catch up with some amazing girls (Pere, Kim, Khila, Emma and Carly) following their day at The Clothes Show. After bidding the girls adieu Naomi and I headed off into the bustling crowds and bright lights of the Christmas markets and finished up our evening in Naomi’s new favourite place to eat. And I was sold immediately.

Which is why when I headed to Birmingham last weekend to get my hair done at RUSH Hair Salon with with Dan in tow, I awarded his patience with my two and a half hour hair appointment with a cider and pizza feast (girlfriend points win).

Stable is located a hop skip and a jump from New Street station and is between the station and The Mailbox (making it a central stopping point after a bit of shopping trip/if you’re on a bit of a drinking spree) on John Bright Street. It’s slap bang next to Brew Dog and a number of other little bars should you wish to continue your evening. Stable has a very communal/cafeteria feel to it. Seating is in the same  as Wagamama: find one of the long wooden bench tables and seats with a seat spare, sit at it and peruse the menu. To order, head to the bar, place an order, pay, take a table number sit amongst animated groups or couples talking excitedly between them and await pizza perfection. There’s over 10 Stable restaurants across the UK in, each boasting a different menu which is dependent on the ingredients/produce and cider available locally.

I love the pizza here, made of a sour dough, a homemade tomato sauce (the magic is in the homemade part!) and the toppings sound so mouthwatering that the temptation to order more than one per person is palpable. In fact, I enjoyed the sound of mine so much (The Perry Barr-Baa marinated lamb, mint, goats cheese curd, sweet potatoes, roasted onions…. Need I continue?) that I ordered it twice purely because I must have been too inherited the first time I visited to remember what I had ordered. Never fear, it’s blooming delicious.

Dan opted for The Old Spot Trotter, Gloucestershire smoked bacon, field mushrooms, fresh tomato sauce and mozarella…. Topped with a free range egg sunny side up. Not a fan of egg on a pizza? It’s essentially a larger (and glorified) open bacon and egg and cheese sandwich. In the name of “research” I exchanged a slice and I can concur that it was delicious.

One of the most interesting features of Stable is their extensive cider collection.  With 80 varieties of cider and counting, if you like cider, this is the place for you. Luckily for me, there’s definitely something about the crisp apple taste of cider that I find instantly refreshing and a much lighter alternative to beer. Can’t decide what cider you want or find yourself UHMing and AHHing over the pumps, you can order one of Stable’s tasting boards for a bargain price of £7.50. 5 1/3 pint glasses filled to the brim with specially selected cider and served on a plank of wood. If you’re feeling fruity, treat yourself to a whole one in the bid to play Cider Tinder and find your perfect pint, alternatively you could do like I did and share one. It works out at £3.25 for what’s essentially a pint of cider and you can make an informed judgement on your next round!

If you’re in Brum and fancy a slice to eat, a animated atmosphere and a fruity refresher, you won’t go wrong with stable. At £34 for a cider tasting board, two pizzas and a garlic and cheese pizza, it’s pretty good value too!