University College Birmingham buys Cube hotel in £15m hospitality training plan

University College Birmingham (UCB) has said its acquisition of the recently closed Cube hotel, which includes a Marco Pierre White restaurant, forms part of its £15m investment plan for three new hospitality venues across the city.

The investment is set to create 150 jobs and provide a live training environment for hospitality students of the university, while also being open to paying guests.

The programme is “designed to create exceptional learning environments for the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals”.

Alongside the new hotel and restaurant, UCB will also open a neighbourhood restaurant in Harborne, alongside a new restaurant and bar at its Summer Row campus, situated in Birmingham city centre.

The funds will also be used to refurbish the existing restaurant at the Birmingham College of Food.

UCB’s vice-chancellor and principal, professor Michael Harkin said: “This acquisition marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for University College Birmingham and demonstrates our continued commitment to investing in exceptional learning environments for our students.

“Over the past five years, we have invested more than £300m across our campuses, Birmingham city centre and the surrounding communities, and this latest programme represents another significant step forward.

“By creating a collection of high-quality hospitality venues across the city, we are giving our students access to real-world, commercial environments where they can develop the skills, confidence and experience that employers are looking for.

“At the same time, we are strengthening Birmingham’s hospitality sector when it is facing significant challenges by creating new jobs, attracting talented professionals and supporting the city’s reputation as a leading destination for hospitality, tourism and culinary excellence. This is an investment not only in our students, but in the future of Birmingham.”