Two restaurants in Birmingham made it to the Good Food Guide’s top 20 list, as well as one restaurant in Solihull, while London had five places on the list.
Birmingham has been hailed as Britain’s ‘most exciting food destination’ in the Good Food Guide 2022 - and the award came after two of the city’s restaurants topped the top 20 list, along with a spot in nearby Solihull.
London, on the other hand, had five restaurants in the top 20 - and many in the capital seem a bit upset that long-time guide editor Elizabeth Carter is ramping up Prom at the launch event at The Groucho, a private members’ club in Soho.
The London Evening Standard ran with the headline: Birmingham overtakes London to be named ‘Britain’s Most Exciting Destination for Foodies’. And many of their social media followers reacted, defending London’s restaurant scene as the best for “international food” and more.
The two Birmingham restaurants that were in the top 20 were The Wilderness in the Jewelery Quarter (No. 10) - presiding over Alex Claridge’s which prides itself on its fine rock-and-roll dining; and Carters of Moseley (No. 18) - one of the Michelin-starred places in town that also serves modern British dishes.
In Solihull, it was Grace & Savor at Hampton Manor in Hampton in Arden that made it number 16 for its new kind of luxury in immersive dining that embraces sustainability. Carter also paid tribute to the Michelin star Ofhim - chaired by Aktar Islam, which serves fine Indian cuisine. The Harpoon Kitchen - a casual neighborhood restaurant serving modern British cuisine.
So what did Good Food Guide editor Elizabeth Carter have to say about Birmingham’s exciting food scene?
“Nothing else [British] The city is well presented with such a range of unique and often exceptional restaurants across the price range.
‘At the top of the range are three exceptional Birmingham-area restaurants in Britain’s 20 most exciting restaurants - an extraordinary feat. But getting the balance right extends to others including Opheem, with his unmistakably British style of curry. Its yet unique, Harborne Kitchen, where Jamie Desogus does a real coup, makes the restaurant a bit of a holy grail in terms of packing mass appeal into opulence.
“Nowhere but Britain - and perhaps more specifically in Birmingham - this cooking can take place.”
So what did Londoners say about the “exciting” Birmingham Prize?
In response to the Evening Standard’s story, a person posted on social media, “They are trying to promote Birmingham. However, London is still the place where the best international food is served. Thank you very much.”
Another added: “The culinary commission says it promotes Birmingham.”
Another said, “If I were a fan of curry, yes! I think I’d stick to London even though I’m pretty weak.”
Another said, “Yes, I think I’ll stick to the west end on this one, Birmingham doesn’t look delicious at all.”
And the posts continued, “I mean it’s not, it has a few Michelin-starred restaurants, but Aussie is better than ridiculous London.”
And: “Yeah I think I’ll stick to the western end on this one, Birmingham doesn’t look delicious at all.”
What does the Promise think of Birmingham’s dining scene?
If you ask Brummies, the reaction is completely different. People are very proud of the hospitality scene which is full of creativity and quality.
Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands said: “The UK’s food capital is…Birmingham. We already knew it but now it’s official - our region is home to Britain’s most exciting dining scene. This is great news. Whether it’s fine dining or… Street food or our independent favorites, we’ve got something to suit everyone.”
Permigam food fan, Bite You Brum, tweeted: “Bosh. And it’s great to see the likes of The Wilderness (among others) in Brum’s top 20. I did well.”
Another food blogger tweeted: “I’m so glad I was on the Good Food Guide…I see Birmingham as the most exciting destination for food and three great restaurants in the top 20”
Message from the editor:
thank you for reading. Birmingham World Birmingham’s newest news site, championing all that’s great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sports. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us Facebook,Twitter And the Instagram, And he continued the conversation.