Alex Claridge, Chef Patron of The Wilderness and one of the most cerebral chefs known to man, published one of his very infrequent personal blogs on 19 October 2026, musing at last on the award of a Michelin star to The Wilderness at the beginning of the year. When the award was made, an event which caused him some degree of surprise since he had long concluded that the Michelin men had decided he would never receive such recognition (but who knows what they will decide and why they will decide it; Michelin men, like God, move in mysterious ways) the decision had more or less been made to close The Wilderness and, horribile dictu, that he and Rach, his partner would move to Leeds and run a bistro - such heresy. But the award of the macaron changed everything and Birmingham did not lose one of its greatest and most original chefs and restaurateurs but gained a Michelin star. In the nick of time, you might say.
Below, I presume to post screenshots of Claridge’s whole blog - I don’t expect he will mind. In my opinion, with its reflection on the present state of the restaurant industry at present and all the events which were happening at The Wilderness during 2025 and early 2026, it is a seminal piece to be retained for history’s sake and to provide a contemporary report of the present problems of our local dining out scene and to get a feel of whether we are all doomed or may yet be saved.
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