Traditional kagami-biraki ceremony features at Japanese kitchen and bar 

KIBOU Japanese Kitchen & Bar in Solihull celebrated its opening with a VIP party of invited local guests, influencers and celebrities. The party featured a traditional kagami-biraki ceremony performed by Scott Paine of artisan sake producer, Akashi Tai. The special ceremony sees the lid of a sake barrel broken open by wooden mallets and the sake then enjoyed by everyone present. Based at the former Café Rouge site on Solihull high street, the new restaurant has undergone a major redesign by Cheltenham-based architects, Q&A Interior Design.

Captions:

1 Justin Davies, Suzanne Virdee, Scott Paine, Kin Ho Fung

2 Graham Jones, Marianne Kelly

3 James and Khaleda Meredith

4 Royston Blythe, Andrew Riley, Nick Malenko

5 Richard O’Gorman and friend

6 Sophie Howell

7 Ryan Sidebottom, Ian Bell

8 Wasps Rugby players, Tim Cardall, Tim Simonds and Cameron Anderson with partners

9 Suzanne Virdee, Andrew Fox