Just when Birmingham and the West Midlands seemed to be doing so well from the gastronomy point -of-view along comes one of God’s smallest creatures, or perhaps it’s one of The Devil’s smallest creatures, which men named Coronavirus, and sets about wrecking everything. COVID-19 also followed straight on from flooding in some west midlands towns which had already done a lot of damage.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, most of our distinguished restaurants have so far survived this year of lockdowns and tiers and eat out to help out by turning to producing expensive takeaways where the diner became partially the chef and entirely the waiter. Where there’s a will there’s a way. The general ability to think innovatively and work hard has for centuries been the hallmark of the pragmatic midlander, not cosseted like self-preening Londoners or self pitying like some whining northerners, which is why Birmingham restaurants have held out so long, they’ve got on with it pragmatically and often with a sense of humour and determination to overcome all odds even when things seemed to continue to get worse no matter how hard they tried. The city was devoid of people but our restauranteurs found a way. Let us hope that a rapid roll out of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine will soon be bringing back the diners who, let’s face it, probably have not spent much money at all during 2020 on rest and relaxation. If restaurants can hold on a little longer then a boom time may be awaiting them.
Fortunately Birmingham was not placed in Tier 4 over Christmas unlike the south-east, birthplace of the new London variant of COVID-19, and Shropshire was still able to keep its hotels and restaurants open being in Tier 2 (until today which seems unkind as Covidity rates in the county remain startlingly low compared with elsewhere) and so the dog and I were able to pass our long-booked Christmas in Ludlow at Fishmore Hall in our own little bubble of one dog and one man.
What a delightful place it is to pass the Christmas break and each day was remarkably different - Wednesday somewhat wet and cold, Thursday dull and a little damp but not cold, Friday (Christmas Day) gorgeous, clear blue skies, bright sunshine, crisp with a lovely sunrise and a spectacular sunset, Boxing Day damp and increasingly rainy culminating in Storm Bertha overnight with rain and wind which decreased over Sunday until we woke to snow on Monday morning.
No matter the weather I feasted well in Fishmore Hall with the deputy chef Chloe Wednesday overseeing Christmas lunch (her proud parents were at the next distanced table) and I indulged in classic Christmas turkey, a very rich (perhaps a little too rich for me) chestnut and apricot stuffing, a pig in blanket, generous helpings of 6 different vegetables (nothing succeeds like excess) and a very unctious gravy/sauce. For my starter I had enjoyed a pleasingly thick roast carrot and cumin soup with little chunks of pickled cucumber which really lifted the dish along with an onion bharji which served as a tasty crouton. Dessert took the form of a Bailey’s crème brûlée which was just right after a very sizeable main course.
Chloe had been the pastry chef/sous chef at Fishmore Hall (before Joe Gould took up his post I think) and so I expect she was responsible for some of the splendid pastries and cakes served up at the two Afternoon teas (really it’s quite alright just to call them Teas) which were included in my Christmas package. My favourite had to be the Lemon and raspberry Battenburg but she also provides exquisite macaroons which on this occasion took the form of a blueberry and violet macaroon. Accompanying these two great pleasures was a splendid praline mousse with Tia Maria jelly and white chocolate (I’m not one for chocolate desserts but white chocolate does it for me every time. The savouries were a tasty little Coronation chicken sandwich, my favourite - a thoroughly enjoyable Ham hock, honey and mustard slider (I’ve gone so far in life without knowing until then what a slider is) and a smoked salmon, cream cheese and beetroot wrap. Least successful for me was a fine-looking but not terribly pleasant Tuna and red onion melt which would have been delightful without the aggressively favoured red onion in it which for a few moments alarmed me and made me wonder if I’d developed a disordered sense of taste. The tea was of course accompanied by very edible scones.
Restauranteurs and diners will be pleased to see the back of 2020 I’m sure but when I’ve been allowed to do so I have had some grand meals here in Birmingham and our neighbouring counties. Keep fighting a little longer. There’s bound to be a dawn soon after this darkest Tier 4 night.
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