HARDEN’S STANDS BY CRITICISM OF BRUM FOOD SCENE

30-11-2007

The founder of the restaurant-goers bible Harden’s has told The Stirrer he stands by his criticism that Birmingham and the West Midlands is “a remarkably poor dining out destination.”

As we revealed yesterday, the latest edition of the food-lovers’ guide recommends a number of restaurants in the region (notably Simpson’s, Cielo and Beau Thai) but overall talks down our eating out scene (see link here)

We wondered whether this was because Harden’s lacks reviewers in this area – or because they really think our restaurants are, on the whole naff.

Richard Harden, who created the guide, tells us: “I can answer your question pretty briefly: the latter.

“I don't to be honest think our guide's view is that different from any of the others. Even if you add in the restaurants you suggest as omissions, it still wouldn't really make B'ham stack up against the other major cities.

“If you have a moment, might I suggest you compare the Brum intro with those of Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester etc, and I think you'll be struck - I always am - by just how DIFFERENT the scenes are in character.

“What you need, crudely, for a restaurant scene is a dense (and wealthy) city-centre population, ideally associated with commerce and (upmarket) tourism. Hence Edinburgh is 'best' scene outside London.

“Birmingham – Motown UK – is of course the most diffuse of the major conurbations, with few affluent city-centre dwellers (or upmarket visitors), and I suspect that's the main problem.

“It’s also more a manufacturing city (like, say, Sheffield) than a commercial city (like, say, especially Leeds), which I suspect also doesn’t help.

“Even Manchester, another commercial city, doesn't sustain a real top-flight restaurant of any note, but it manages to sustain a more interesting underbelly, perhaps partially 'cos it has so many students. (Most in Europe, I believe.)”

To see the latest edition of the guide, and maybe become a reviewer yourself, go to www.hardens.com

Tomorrow Marketing Birmingham reply to the criticisms raised in the latest edition of Harden’s.

Has Harden’s got it right? Is Birmingham “a remarkably poor dining out destination?” How does it compare to other cities in the UK and Europe? And which are the best restaurants in the West Midlands.

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