Hilton Birmingham Metropole – which sits at the heart of the NEC estate – has unveiled two new dining concepts aimed at revolutionising the way in which organisers plan their events.

The concepts centre on two of the hotel’s new restaurant spaces, The Arbor and Millers. Together the outlets provide a new flexible approach to event catering that ensures organisers are not restricted by schedules, and have access to delegate catering when it suits them.

The Arbor, is a restorative setting where manmade meets natural. Its name takes inspiration from the word’s literal meaning of a shelter or place to take refuge and is motivated by John Claudius Loudon, the creator of Birmingham Botanical Gardens who coined the term ‘arboretum’. The menu is both local and seasonal, serving a selection of British and international specialties in a buffet style for evening meals in addition to breakfast.

Its sister restaurant, Millers is providing guests with the ultimate in flexibility. Dining in the light, contemporary space is not constrained by timings and offers customers restriction-free access to a fresh, rolling all-day grazing menu.

The new concepts form part of the hotel’s multi-million pound refurbishment, and demonstrate just some of the innovation the project has brought to the venue.

“Our new concept in Millers has been created in reaction to a growing need for flexible catering options both day and night. Organisers are no longer limited by strict timetables and have the option to break early or break late without compromising their offering,” said Nicola Underhill, General Manager, Hilton Birmingham Metropole. “This is about letting food work around the agenda, not vice versa.”

Both restaurants form part of the hotel’s refurbishment programme which began in 2021 and is due for completion in April. More than 600 of the hotel’s rooms have been upgraded and adapted alongside an extensive refurbishment of its conference and events spaces.