Ignored by the ignorant

By Paul Fulford on March 3, 2008 6:35 PM | Permalink

I'm never sure whether to be outraged or amused by the sneering ignorance with which the food critics of the national press routinely treat Birmingham.

They seldom venture beyond the capital and, when they do reach this city and happen upon a place with quality, can't resist expressing surprise that Birmingham restaurants serve food other than the balti.

There was a time when our restaurants were few and those of a high standard were fewer still. But those days have long gone. We've got places such as Simpson's, Purnell's, Lasan, Shanghai Ye, Opus, Turner's in Harborne, Pascal's in Edgbaston, the Town House in Solihull and many other great places to eat.

Yet the weekend supplements of the national media are unlikely to reflect this.

Yet Birmingham has been chosen ahead of any other place in the UK to take part in Delice, a celebration of the food of 20 European cities.

Four outstanding chefs from French twin Lyon are in Birmingham this week taking part in various events. I welcome them here.

How shameful, though, that these visitors from the middle of France should have more knowledge of Brum's culinary scene than London's pampered food critics, who feign sophistication but display only a blinkered, out-dated and lazy view.