Our city’s fabulous foodie scene is once again in the spotlight, thanks to the talents of one of our home grown chefs.

Renowned eatery Carters of Moseley, has been named as one of the best restaurants in the UK -  in two national lists.

The restaurant helmed by Brummie Brad Carter, is in the top 100 restaurants list compiled by Restaurant magazine and has also nabbed the No 1 Fit For Foodies award by OpenTable reviewers.

In Restaurant magazine's prestigious National Restaurant Awards top 100, Carters is the only Birmingham eatery to be included -  for the second year running.

Editor Stefan Chomka said: “Brad Carter is one of the leading lights of Birmingham’s food scene with his creative and meticulously-run establishment.

"The fact this is happening in Moseley – a quiet suburb of Birmingham – shows just how far British cuisine has come.

“Part of a new generation of young, ambitious chefs that are pushing the boundaries of what British food can be,  Brad Carter goes deeper than most into exploring the idea of terroir in cooking."

The Moseley venue has slipped down the ratings slightly - in 2018 it was named 66th best restaurant by the magazine and this year it is No 92.

Reservation and review site OpenTable has alsoa awarded Carters of Moseley the top spot in its Fit For Foodies top 50 thanks to "its focus on seasonal, ingredient-led cooking."

Adrian Valeriano, Vice President of OpenTable Europe, said: "We’re extremely excited to share this Fit for Foodies list based on verified reviews and to see the list become even more representative of the whole of the UK foodie scene as we see more ambitious restaurants open outside of London.”

Carters of Moseley - chef Brad Carter
Brad Carter, the first chef in Moseley to have a Michelin star - at Carters of Moseley

The Top 50 Fit for Foodies restaurants are generated from more than 851,000 reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners in the past year at over 7,600 restaurants using OpenTable.

All restaurants with a minimum overall score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration.

Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews.

Restaurant magazine's Top 100 is based on the votes of more than 200 industry experts, including chefs, restaurateurs and food writers.

It takes into consideration not only the food, but the staff, atmosphere, music, design and price. The academy of voters is made up of chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, critics and other food experts and gastronomes.

Carters of Moseley
Carters of Moseley

Former University College Birmingham student Brad is largely self taught. His restaurant Carters opened in 2010 and won a coveted Michelin star in 2015.

Moor Hall in Aughton, Lancashire was named National Restaurant of the Year with Brat in London's Shoreditch taking the second spot.

 

This is what National Restaurant Awards said in full about Carters of Moseley

Lichfield Asparagus, Moliterno Al Tartufo: Carters of Moseley.
Lichfield Asparagus, Moliterno Al Tartufo: Carters of Moseley.

"Part of a new generation of young, ambitious chefs that are pushing the boundaries of what British food can be, Brad Carter goes deeper than most into exploring the idea of terroir in cooking.

Wild game, foraged herbs, forgotten ingredients and rare-breed animals are the lifeblood of a cooking style that looks to change how we think about our own food.

The fact this is happening in Moseley – a quiet suburb of Birmingham – shows just how far British cuisine has come. Set up by Carter and his partner Holly Jackson, the Michelin-starred restaurant is tiny – one room and an open kitchen, where modern cooking techniques are applied to heritage ingredients across a series of tasting menus.

Dishes are inventive and playful, such as the signature Porthilly oysters cooked in beef fat or razor clams with old Winchester cheese and pepper dulse – a kind of British take on cacio e pepe.

Other produce-led plates could include grilled Cornish lamb piled up with peas and sea lettuce; and homemade Staffordshire oatcakes with gooey Bix cheese, mead and pollen.

The obsession with terroir and flavour stretches to the drinks list, which showcases natural and biodynamic wines made with indigenous varietals, plus ales from Warwickshire-based brewery Purity.

While the kitchen obviously takes its food very seriously, there’s no sense of stuffiness in the dining room where Jackson and her team bring an easy, sparkly charm to proceedings. Added together and it feels like something rather momentous is happening in Moseley."

The top 10 UK restaurants according to National Restaurant Awards:

1. Moor Hall, Aughton, Lancashire

2. Brat, Shoreditch, London 

3. Cornerstone, Hackney Wick, London

4. Core by Clare Smyth, Notting Hill, London

5. Sabor, Mayfair, London

6. L’Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria

7. Mere, Fitzrovia, London

8. Claude Bosi at Bibendum, Chelsea, London

9. Ynyshir, Powys

10. The Ledbury, Notting Hill,  London