nickloman

And they were more expensive by weight!

Got Jersey Royals from the same place as the asparagus!

I presume it has been helped along with a polytunnel or some such but seems to be generally available now - I even got some from Sainsbury's last weekend, origin listed as Staffs, but it wasn't nearly as good as this was.

Just want to pass on a tip- a recent search for some just-pulled asparagus in the Evesham area we stumbled on Hiller's Farm Shop http://www.hillers.co.uk/ This place has great asparagus from a mile away and has an exemplary vegetable selection, with the local stuff coming from a radius of about 5 miles. Some lovely lettuces, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes etc. on offer Meat from the adjourning Ragley Estate, not tried it yet but the beef is 28 days - Hereford/Charolais/Limousin cross - looked good It also has a wet fish counter with daily deliveries Plus a miniature steam railway on site! Seriously impressed with this place, exactly how a farm shop should be.

Yep, its terrific. The cooking has just got better and better. I just rue the fact its our local (we live in Harborne) and its so popular it is hard to get a table on a whim! If I could change anything it would be the room which is rather cramped and I don't really like the mirrors - but the trick is just to look at the food and enjoy!

I know what you are saying but people have opened restaurants with much lesser qualifications than winning MasterChef! Not to say it would be easy or even ultimately successful, but at least you can probably find some financial backing with all that profile. The alternative is a TV career! How depressing ...

@Gary Marshall Ah, shame you had to settle with Shimlas, it isn't very good relative to the better places in Brum. My friend Tom Baker has started a quest for the 'perfect balti', might be worth keeping an eye on his travels http://perfectbalti.wordpress.com/

@eatenmess Yeah! I know the foie gras lobby sometimes campaigns outside Purnell's, perhaps we could go down with We Want Brummie Waiters (And More Fois Gras) placards and start a scene! Sounds like it might be Geoff, yeah. He's a nice bloke and definitely works hard to put you at ease. I really think his particular style of banter would improve the service at Purnell's immeasurably and it would fit with Glyn's persona well. But I guess Glyn may be unlikely to change things much as the current formula is obviously working out well for him, its certainly quite hard to get a table.

Troublesome area having tried to find something around there myself in the past without luck. Never been here, but you could try http://www.sevenstarsinn.co.uk/

This is a poor replacement for Masterchef. It feels very slow-paced. The Friday show is usually the best, the only interest coming from the interaction of the judges. I find Jeremy Lee fairly unwatchable. There's really no serious explanation about the food - in 30 minutes they could actually show you how each dish was cooked in detail. The same tired "local, seasonal" producer segments are completely pointless. We get it, you can buy vegetables/fish/meat in the regions. Again they supply no details which might bring it to life. The competitive banter between chefs is pointless and forced. The result this week seems inevitable, Tony Singh is not producing food as good as the other two. Going from 3 chefs to 2 seems extraneous, why not just pick the best/most interesting 2 chefs to feature in the programme? and don't get me started on Jenny Bond It bugs me that TV this lazy is being commissioned in favour of serious food TV. I have to say the Raymond Blanc programme was a real refreshing change in actually not shying from the details of complex food preparation.

Hmm, asparagus before St. George's Day seems very fishy to me. I've recently been in the Evesham/Pershore area and there's zip to be found yet. Hardly surprising considering the appalling weather we've had, I would have thought a late start to the season would be predicted? I really like Glyn's food but I find the ambience of the restaurant and the stuffiness of the service quite out of character. I'd rather front of house was run by loud and friendly brummies than going for Michelin-style slickness. One of the things I love about Simpsons is the waiter we always seem to have who is through and through brummie and its a real refreshing change to be given fine dining in such relaxed settings. Just to clarify, I'm not a brummie myself, nor do I only eat in restaurants staffed by brummies I just like my restaurants to feel friendly, relaxed and true to their roots.

AA Gill has a very entertaining review in the Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/a_a_gill/article7063758.ece I don't really agree with his findings as we had a lovely meal there and the service was friendly and enthusiastic. I do agree with his thoughts on Cambridge though and the situation of the restaurant which is in a terrible bit of town.

Oh yeah, we went there a few weeks back for the first time. It was decent but not exciting. Probably a reasonable option if you are trapped on the Hagley Road as it sounds like you were.

Just brilliant, what a documentary. The tension in the latter half was almost unbearable. Can't say the stuff they were turning out looked that appetitising, but what amazing craftsmanship!

It's not fish and chips in the traditional sense but how about trying Riddle and Finns? http://www.riddleandfinns.co.uk/menu.html

That'll be an oyster leaf. I had one when we ate at Antony's. Uncannily oyster flavoured, aren't they?

Having broken the frother on my Gaggia, I found a replacement at http://www.happydonkey.co.uk/

Having gotten the Momofuku cookbook for Xmas I was looking for a mail order source of konbu (seaweed for making daishi) and ramen noodles made with alkaline salts to make the momofuku ramen dish. I found both amongst other stuff from http://www.raanthai.co.uk

It's South though I do recommend a trip to the Fleece Inn at Bretforton, which is very near Evesham. http://www.thefleeceinn.co.uk/ The food is not necessarily stunning but the pub is pretty amazing (and National Trust owned). And if you catch it on the right day there may well be asparagus festival events going on.

Pam, there's plenty going on in Birmingham. Consider Turner's in Harborne, Purnell's in the City Centre, Loves in the City Centre or even the venerable Simpson's in Edgbaston. Or Lasans in the Jewellery Quarter. All will need booking in advance. Check out the Birmingham thread for more details.

Another fine dining opening in Birmingham. Anyone dared to try it yet? I have to say my impressions from looking at the a la carte are not great: http://www.matthewsofbirmingham.com/a-la-carte/ Braised ox-tail & rabbit terrine, Bramley apple chutney, sticky toffee apple lollipop Scallop, crayfish and lemon risotto, courgette carpaccio Wood pigeon, wild mushroom porridge, beetroot and cranberry jelly, with a cep jus Twinning’s green tea poached Scottish salmon, sage gnocchi, lapsang souchang and Saki consume Carpaccio Barbary duck breast, duet of pear, Lincolnshire blue cheese cream Main courses Rump cap pave beef, black pudding and pancetta, curly kale with truffle mashed potato and red wine jus Tandoori battered fillet of haddock, crushed peas with a spiced, curried crème fraiche sauce Lincolnshire roasted pork loin, slow baked pork belly, parsnip puree, apple fondant and Calvados jus Pot roasted and braised guinea fowl, mashed potato, red onion, haricot bean and juniper berry sauce Wasabi and elderflower sauce, sea bass and plaice, spinach and linguini Side order of seasonal vegetables available for £2.00 Quite a few of those flavours/textures don't seem to belong: duck and blue cheese, salmon and gnocchi, wasabi and elderflower with sea bass and plaice. Still, perhaps the chef is a genius!

As a student I used to survive on takeaway lamb chops from Tayyab's. Back then I didn't realise I was being trendy either

Pleased you clarified that ...

Personally, I'd go to Lords of the Manor. More my kind of food. Why not compare the menus online and see what takes your fancy?

Perhaps it was Chris from http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/ ..