By Paul Brown
It was a who's who of claret and blue celebrities at Barack Obama's state banquet in the capital earlier this month, with Prince William, Tom Hanks, David Cameron and Sir Mervyn King in attendance.
It was a grand occasion as the President of the United States hosted our vital Villans as well as 170 other guests at Buckingham Palace as part of his three-day state visit.
But if the famous fans ever wanted an intimate setting to talk football, finance or film, Villa Park would happily accommodate them - and we know just the place.
VMF - the jewel in the crown of Villa Park hospitality - has set the region alight with fabulous food, stunning service and a rewarding training programme for young adults in the area.
Almost a year old now, the restaurant - based in Trinity Road's Directors - has really caught the attention of critics and supporters.
Head of Hospitality and Events Alison Plant said: "I think those celebrated supporters would be thrilled. There would be no problem with having them here at all - it would be an honour and a pleasure.
"The food is good, the service is good, the restaurant is good and the ambience is good.
"Everything is to a consistently high standard. We have had no bad reviews whatsoever from customer comment cards.
"If our Villa celebrities turned up we'd be a bit shaky of course because of who they are but I don't think we'd have any problems at all.
"I think they'd be really impressed and also I think they'd be thrilled to see students cooking and serving. These are apprentices who are doing everything - they are not fully qualified.
"They are just genuine people who want to change their lives. I think they'd be delighted and impressed with what we are providing."
VMF has been a success story on so many levels. Born from an idea of Villa chairman Randy Lerner, he wanted to see a restaurant open at Villa Park but recognised it had to have the "wow factor" to achieve success.
That came in the form of Alison's unique idea, aimed at giving back to the community and its people.
A total of 12 disadvantaged students were handpicked to help change their lives by serving and cooking in the remarkable restaurant.
Villa partnered with the city council's Birmingham Apprenticeship Scheme and took on the trainee hospitality students, all living within a 10 mile radius of Villa Park.
The apprentices, who were recruited after support and consultation with working neighbourhood forums, are now spending two years with Aston Villa Hospitality and Events.
During this time they will be taking a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Hospitality Services qualification, with the club working with Walsall College as its training provider.
The next batch of students are expected soon too and much like the scholarship scheme in operation for footballers at Bodymoor Heath, there will then be 'year one' and 'year two' students in place.
The aim of the project is to give experience and a quality work environment to young adults who haven't been given this opportunity before and to use unique and traditional recipes that reflect our relationship with the area.
Alison continued: "It's been brilliant. I am delighted. It's been really well received by the public, which is the main thing.
"It was Randy's idea to have a restaurant and then we had conversations to discuss what would make it different.
"I mentioned that it would be great to put something back into the community and that's how it came about. It was brave and bold.
"It was a difficult thought process to open a restaurant in Aston because if you were doing a feasibility study it is not something you would normally choose to do.
"But, because it has such a good and wholesome base to why it's there, it's actually working and being really well-received. People enjoy the service and the food but they buy into the process behind it too. We are really, really pleased."
Alison called the VMF project "challenging but rewarding" and said she is so proud of the people who have really made it the success it is today.
"It feels personal," she added. "You invest in it - time and energy. It's been challenging but so, so rewarding at the same time.
"Everyone has played their part. It really has been a team effort - everyone from the people who work there every day, the head chef, the producers, the farmers, the chairman for backing it - and Walsall College, of course, for providing the training course too. That's something we weren't skilled at."
While she rightly calls it a "team effort" there is one name who constantly appears on rave reviews for the Villa Park scheme.
Frances Cash - one of the initial batch of students - has really made a name for herself as a classy communicator, superb server and competent cook.
Indeed she has won star of the future at the annual hospitality awards and the silver medal as young chef of the year at the renowned Marche ceremony - a mere seven weeks after trying her hand in the kitchen.
"Frances has done really well. She has a natural ability," Alison added. "For the first four months she was working in the restaurant and she took to it like a duck to water.
"She was serving tables, clearing tables and her customer service was excellent. We almost immediately asked her to work on a matchday in Directors, front of house, so much so that she now looks after table one, which is designed for home directors and guests.
"We then had a change-around which we do every few months and she went into the kitchens and within a couple of months of that she had come second in the young chef of the year award.
"She has a natural ability at that too. She has a great attitude. She is very polite and down-to-earth."
Add to these gongs, the chef team of the year award, the bronze special achievement award, sustainability gold gong and a highly recommended accolade too and you realise it's onwards and upwards for the establishment.
"It has been incredible really," she said. "We have won award after award. It has done really well and earnt critical acclaim.
"I think it will go from strength to strength in its second year so it's onwards and upwards for us.
"It's been so very well received. That's been thrilling."
While the trainee programme works well, the restaurant clearly wouldn't be a success if the food and service ultimately was second-rate.
Thankfully, it's made an immense impression on diners.
Alison added: "The wow factor is a big thing - as you walk into the restaurant you get the tableware, the glasswear, fresh flowers, the cutlery, the crockery - everything holds it up.
"The food has been really well-received and it's great that it's from the Five Counties.
"Everything is sourced from within the area. Looking around other impressive restaurants, for instance, nobody else can lay claim to that.
"With our very own in-house pastry chef now too - Craig Gent - we are not buying any frozen desserts in. Everything is home-made. That's brilliant."
It's a regular sight now to see satisfied diners exiting the restaurant wide-eyed and full-belied.
You should do too - as well as our fab four fans of course!
VMF is open Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm and for Sunday lunch, 12noon to 3pm.
Call 0121 326 1570 to reserve your places.
