Despite recently winning its fifth Michelin star, the city often finds itself at the sharp end of reviewers’ tongues. But unfairly so – its pool of chefs may not measure up to London, but it is highly skilled, unpretentious and home-grown
After the glory, the goading. This weekend’s Observer reported on Birmingham’s latest culinary achievement, namely Carters of Moseley bagging a star from what remains, rightly or wrongly, the world’s most influential restaurant guide. It became the fifth restaurant in the city to do so. Step forward Jay Rayner, the Observer’s restaurant pundit, ready to rain on Birmingham’s parade. He’s far from alone: earlier this year, Times food scribbler Giles Coren declared Birmingham was ill-served by restaurants and “just a bit rubbish” when compared with similar-sized European cities. Another “well-known food critic, who wished to remain anonymous” was quoted by the BBC as saying Birmingham was not a competitor to London– no, really? – and ranked “quite a way below Edinburgh, Bristol and Manchester”, which is clearly twaddle.
Related: Why Giles Coren has got Birmingham’s food scene all wrong
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