James Wong, the owner of Chung Ying in Birmingham’s Chinatown, says the end of the recent UK heatwave “will be a Godsend” for local hospitality businesses.
This June, Birmingham experienced its hottest ever June temperatures, with the mercury hitting 34°C this week. The intense heat is expected to persist until temperatures drop to around 23°C on Sunday.
Last month, Wong invested approximately £15,000 in upgrading his kitchen’s ventilation system and adding new fridges to help cope with the demand and heat conditions. While these improvements have kept the kitchen one of the coolest spots in Chinatown, Wong revealed that, ironically, the sweltering temperatures have kept customers away from dining in the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
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Speaking to BirminghamLive, Wong described the challenges: “My van was baking on Wednesday while I was out buying stock. Even with the air conditioning on, it was uncomfortably hot inside. Because of the heat, people didn’t want to eat outside.”
He added, “It’s a catch-22 in Birmingham – if it’s too cold, people avoid eating outside, and if it’s too hot, they do the same. Hopefully, Sunday will be a Godsend for hospitality as the cooler temperatures bring customers back to support the industry.”
Wong also noted that the kitchen conditions have remained manageable thanks to the new ventilation system. “Our staff are drinking plenty of water, and the ventilation really helps,” he said. Interestingly, many of his staff, originally from Southeast Asia, have adapted well; some continue wearing long sleeves and jackets despite the heat. “One of our cooks is from Indonesia and said he isn’t feeling this weather at all, which is quite a contrast to how I feel—it’s baking for me.”
Anticipating the challenges of the heatwave, Wong had to invest in two additional fridges recently to keep up with demand and manage supplies in the extreme temperatures.
Located at 16-18 Wrottesley St, Birmingham, Chung Ying is a local fixture navigating the fine line between climate challenges and customer comfort during this record-breaking summer heat.