Birmingham Post

Michelin gets a taste for the city

New restaurant­s added to guide despite pandemic

- Sanjeeta Bains Features Staff

IT’S been the toughest year ever for the city’s hospitalit­y sector. But this week marked something of a silver lining as several new culinary destinatio­ns were added to the prestigiou­s 2021 Michelin Guide.

Among those making waves in Birmingham are a restaurant with graffiti adorning its walls and a tiny kitchen where diners sit have their food prepared in front of them.

The award winners were announced in an online ceremony on Monday tonight.

Birmingham has played a blinder with the Michelin inspectors despite the uncertainl­y facing the restaurant scene because of lockdown.

The inspectors recognised places that, while not Michelin-star standard, produce “quality cooking”. And 670 Grams, Craft, Eight and Pulperia have now been given this accolade.

670 Grams is helmed by Great British Menu star and former Purnell’s chef Kray Treadwell who was also awarded Best Young Chef Award 2021 by Michelin.

The five Michelin-starred restaurant­s in Birmingham – Opheem, Purnell’s, Adams, Simpsons and Carters of Moseley – all retained their stars, but there were no new stars for the city.

Based at Digbeth’s Custard Factory, 670 Grams opened in August 2020 just after the four-month shutdown. The guide recognised the restaurant for its “creative, playful dishes with intriguing flavour combinatio­ns and contrasts in textures and temperatur­es”.

Aktar Islam’s steak restaurant Pulperia is another new entry.

It opened just before the March lockdown and had only been able to open for three months of 2020 before closing for the second lockdown in November.

The guide said: “It’s all about meat at this contempora­ry, Argentinia­ninspired, design-led restaurant in the heart of Brindleypl­ace. Choose prime cuts – many of which are designed for sharing – from Argentina, Finland and Galicia, which are aged for up to 50 days and skilfully cooked on the parrilla chargrill.”

Eight, situated at the back of the

ICC, was created from the original bar area at sister venue Craft restaurant.

It is made up solely of a giant Chef’s Table of 16 covers where diners sit as their meals are cooked before them.

However, due to social distancing, the restaurant was reduced to eight covers when it opened in October.

It is helmed by another Great British Menu star, Andrew Sheridan, who also oversees the kitchen at Craft. It was praised by Michelin for the “self assured, original eightcours­e menu presented by the chef in an engaging, theatrical style”.

Modern British restaurant Craft features in the guide for its “ambitious, creative dishes with harmonious flavours”.

Owner Sam Morgan, who

also

owns Eight, told the Birmingham Post: “I am delighted that both restaurant­s have been listed in the new guide.

“Anyone who opened a restaurant last year will tell you how challengin­g it’s been in trying to get establishe­d

with the enforced Covid closures. I’m also very proud that Craft has been recognised.

“Although it was around pre-Covid it opened too late to have the opportunit­y to be featured in the last Michelin Guide which came out in October 2019.”

Mr Morgan added that the ceremony had done its job in promoting the industry and giving restaurant owners a “much-needed boost”.

He said: “They have brought the sector together to celebrate what’s great about hospitalit­y and how much we all miss dining out and looking forward to the sector reopening when it is safe to do so.”

The Michelin Guide is the oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide.

A total of 16 Birmingham restaurant­s feature in it this year plus Peel’s in Hampton in Arden, near Solihull, which also retained its star.

 ??  ?? 670 Grams at the Custard Factory offers an unusual dining experience
670 Grams at the Custard Factory offers an unusual dining experience

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