Through plague and pestilence, lack of staff, galloping inflation with just the plague of locusts to come, chefs and restaurateurs of Birmingham and The West Midlands region found themselves facing yet another Horseman of the Apocalypse (the one on the pale horse perhaps). But out of Michelin’s annual celebration of London restaurants - the Michelin awards - came the excellent news that Tom Shepherd’s restaurant, Upstairs, in Lichfield had, as foreseen in Blog 194, been awarded the town’s first Michelin star. Great news indeed.
Otherwise, true to form, the Michelin Guide ignored the entire Midlands. There were a total of 19 new one star awards - 7 of course in London, 2 in Ireland, 2 in Scotland, 2 in the north west, 2 in Wales and 1 each for The Midlands (Upstairs), East Anglia, the north eastand the south east. Really there’s absolutely no point in chefs and public getting worked up about these awards - unless they work or dine in London, the chances of their favourite excellent restaurant receiving a star are zero.
And that’s a fact.
Meanwhile Stuart Deeley’s excellent Smoke was added to Michelin’s list of West Midlands county restaurants but Bilash in Wolverhampton was removed as was Opus in Birmingham but that was permanently closed during 2021. In Warwickshire, Rooftop at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford upon Avon was removed from the listing but No 9 Church Street which closed permanently during 2021 due to the pandemic remains on the list. The Staffordshire listing is now without 99 Station Street in Burton on Trent and The Red Lion at Bradley. There seem to be no changes in Worcestershire, Herefordshire nor Shropshire except that Pensons in Tenbury Wells has received an additional green star.
Finally according to the so well informed French tyre makers Broadway is in Gloucestershire which of course it is not.
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