* BellaItalia has announced the launch of the UK’s biggest free dinner event, designed to give delighted diners a unique opportunity to trial its new menu for free.

The nationwide tasting extravaganza will take place at Bella Italia on George Street on Monday at 6.30pm.

Customers in Oxford can secure a place (limited to 10 people per restaurant) by signing up to become a ‘Bella Together’ member at bellaitalia.co.uk/bella-together

* Bath Ales has transformed its Grapes pub on George Street, Oxford into one of its popular craft beer and pizza venues, Beerd.

Reopening tomorrow, this will be the first Beerd launched outside of its hometown in Bristol.

The Oxford location was closed for three weeks while it was given a makeover which included a fully refurbished kitchen, reconfigured extra seating, new feature lighting and redecoration of both the interior and the front of the venue.

The draught beer offering has more than doubled, allowing the venue to stock a wide range of flavoursome craft beers of various styles as well as a high-quality bottled beer range.

Replacing traditional pub dishes, the updated menu now provides hand-crafted, freshly-made artisan pizzas and an interesting range of snacks to complement the beer offering.

* Pizza Express is launching a pizza with Brussels Sprouts in time for Christmas.

First up is the Roasted Brussels Sprout & Pancetta Romana, costing £13.85, which features Brussels sprouts roasted in garlic and rosemary, salty pancetta, chestnut mushroom, pine kernels, red onion, mozzarella and passata.

It’s topped with a free-range egg in the centre and finished with Gran Milano cheese and parsley. Then comes a meat free version – the Brussels Sprout & Truffle Romana, costing £13.75, and combining sprouts with chestnut mushrooms, mozzarella, red onion and pine kernels. It comes on a passata base and is topped with a free-range egg at the centre and finished with a generous drizzle of truffle oil, to create a flavoursome and decadent pizza.