See also Blogs 400 and 416.
8 January 2025 - The Michelin Guide adds 4 West Midlands restaurants in its January listings including two in Birmingham - Baloci in Edgbaston (see Blog 372), Satori in Moseley (at the previous location of Carter’s of Moseley) (see Blog 455), Horse and Groom in Bourton on the Hill and Hem in Warwick.
8 January - The Good Fod Guide announces that it has shortlisted 4 West Midlands restaurants in its 2025 awards - Opheem for Restaurant of the Year, Albatross Death Cult and Native in Tenbury Wells for Best New Restaurant and Grace And Savour for Most Beautiful Restaurant.
21 January - After 50 years in the restaurant business Andreas Antona announces his retirement and puts Simpsons up for sale for £850000.
26 January - The Good Food Guide adds The Old Wharf Inn in Stourbridge to the Guide. Rated “Good”.
30 January - The Birmingham Post publishes a full page article on Andreas Antona’s intention to sell Simpson’s.
10 February - The Michelin Awards ceremony takes place in Glasgow and Birmingham loses a star - Purnell’s, because of its closure. However Ash Valenzuela-Heeger is awarded the Young Chef Award and her restaurant, Riverine Rabbit in Stirchley, joins Tropea in Harborne as the first Birmingham restaurants to receive Bib Gourmand awards since 2010 (Pascal’s held a Bib Gourmand from 2008-10). There are no new Michelin stars awarded throughout the West Midlands region but Horse and Groom at Bourton on the Hill is also awarded a Bib Gourmand. Ivan Tisdall- Downes’ Native at Tenbury Wells and James Sherwin’s Wild Shropshire in Whitchurch are both awarded Green Michelin stars. After the ceremony there are now 75 West Midlands restaurants included in the Michelin Guide.
4 March - David Taylor, Chef Director at Grace and Savour in Hampton in Arden is eliminated in the first day’s competition of the Central and East region heats of BBC’s Great British Menu, now in its 20th year. Thom Bateman, Chef Proprietor of The Flintlock in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, wins through to the second day of the heat.
5 March - Ivan Tisdall-Downes resigns as Executive Chef at Native in Tenbury Wells, just 3 weeks after winning a Green Michelin star for the restaurant, as reported by Thr Caterer.
5 March - Chef Owner Thom Bateman of The Flintlock in Cheddleton is eliminated from the Central,Heats of the Great British Menu broadcast on this day. No West Midlands chefs are therefore left in the 2025 competition.
6 March - The Birmingham Post publishes a report about the dire state of businesses in Stratford-upon-Avon and in particular, hospitality businesses. Among the closures is Sorrento, a much loved family run Italian restaurant which has been part of the town’s dining scene for many years.
7 March - The Guardian publishes a less than complimentary review by its food writer, Grace Dent, of the Michelin-listed Satori in Moseley.
10 March - Kray Tredwell, Chef Patron of 670 Grams in Digbeth, posts a message on social media reporting that the restaurant may close unless business picks up. More evidence of the grave situation facing chefs and restaurateurs in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
20 March - The Michelin Guide tweets about a dish eaten at the Royal Oak Whatcote in Warwickshire.
26 March - Hogarths Hotel in Solihull announces that Chef Rob Palmer will not now reopen his restaurant Toffs at the hotel as had been announced previously.
4 April - Andrew Sheridan, former Chef Proprietor of 8 when it was based in the International Convention Centre and also of Black and Green in Barnt Green announces that he and his partners Sam and Emma Morgan of Open Restaurants Group will open a new restaurant at the site of the former Pensons and the recently closed Native at Tenbury Wells. The Head Chef of Sow, as it will be called when it opens in mid-May, will be Curtis Winstone.
12 April - Wayne Thomson, former Chef Patron of No 9 Church Street in Stratford upon Avon, dies suddenly and prematurely. He was most recently the Culinary Director of Niche and Bespoke.
8 May - Paul Foster announces the closure of Salt in Stratford upon Avon after 8 years as the finest restaurant in the town. The restaurant held a Michelin star from 2019 to 2024.
20 May 2025 - Brad Carter, previously of Carter’s of Moseley, announces that he will open a new restaurant, Island, at Kings Cross in London.
20 May - Matt Davies, previously Head Chef at the Moat House in Acton Thrussell, co-hosts the charity event Great Brummie Menu in aid of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he had previously been a patient following a serious electrical accident at work. This event, held at the Birmingham College of Food, is the second event by that name and the participating chefs are Liam Dillon of The Boat in Lichfield, Luke Tipping of Simpsons, Jonathan Howe of Lumière in Cheltenham, Glynn Purnell of The Mount in Henley in Arden and Darryl Collins, pâtissier at Resorts World. The event raises £17,000.
1 June - The fast food dining establishment, Bonehead, is added to the GoodFood Guide as a ‘Local gem’.
8 June - Post, located in an old post office building in the village of Newnham on Severn, described as ‘the coolest place to move to in 2025’ is included in the Good Food Guide, with rating ‘Very Good’. The village’s name brings to mind that of Nathaniel Newnham Davis, the distinguished Victorian and Edwardian food critic though he had no connection with the village. The restaurant was opened by Ben Thomson and Florence de Maré and the Chef Patron is Fred Page, formerly of Marie at Heckfield Place..
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| Chef Patron Fred Page |
8 June - Hampton Manor plays host to the four chefs who were involved in the Midlands and East regional heats of the 2025 BBC programme Great British Menu who deliver a banquet for about 80 guests. Sally Abé prepares her starter, ‘Nursed Back to Health’, the East Anglian Harry Kirkpatrick serves his fish course, ‘Pelican Wellington’, Thom Bateman of the Flintlock in Staffordshire prepared the main,’Origin of the Species’ and David Taylor of Grace and Savour prepared the predessert, ‘A Light in Darkest England’, and the dessert ‘For Robert’.
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| Sally Abé |
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| Harry Davenport |
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| Thom Bateman |
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| David Taylor |
10 June - it is announced that the much loved Angela’s Trattoria, previously Laghi’s, at Five Ways (‘Edgbaston Village’), is to close permanently on 18 June with, it is said, Luca Laghi intending to use his freed up time to concentrate on his work as a hospital doctor and with his family.
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| Angela |
10 June - Only three West Midlands restaurants are included in the National Restaurants Awards Top 100 British Restaurants list - Grace and Savour at no. 44, Opheem at number48 and Upstairs by Tom Shepherd at number 82. Unsurprising the,use idps mainly made up of London restaurants.
12 June - The Birmingham Post features the news that Stu Deeley is to open The Warwick (replacing the Dining Room) at Mallory Court and notes that he had worked there previously.
16 June - As one door opens another closes. It is announced that Hockley Social Club will close after 5 years of business.
22 June - Firefighters are called to Ladypool Road to attend a fire at one of Birmingham’s most notable Balti restaurants, Shababs, though few now remain. One person has to be rescued and considerable damage is done to the restaurant.
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