Chef Tom Shepherd to open his first restaurant in Lichfield, Staffordshire

Celebrated chef Tom Shepherd, known for successfully retaining a Michelin star and three AA rosettes at Adam’s in Birmingham, has announced his first opening next month, Upstairs by Tom Shepherd.

The move will see Shepherd return to the restaurant kitchen after a successful run of ‘dine-at-home’ kits throughout lockdown. Set on the first floor above a jeweller’s shop owned by his father in Lichfield, Staffordshire, the “relaxed space” will serve a modern British menu with “subtle influences from Japan and east Asia.”

Expect dishes such as Orkney scallop with dashi, celeriac and apple; poached Atlantic cod with wild mussels, caviar and champagne; and Creedy Carver chicken with sweetcorn, Israeli couscous and leek.

An announcement said the restaurant also “promises to serve a contemporary take on British comfort food on Sundays”, where roast dinner options will include salt-aged Herefordshire beef sirloin, and king oyster mushroom Wellington with winter truffle.

Shepherd told CODE: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be opening my restaurant at such an exciting time for the industry. Covid hit us all hard and I was so overwhelmed with the support of Lichfield locals for my Dine at Home boxes, I couldn’t have opened anywhere else. This city is where my family are and I can’t wait to launch here.”

As the National Restaurant Awards noted last month, having awarded more than half of the top 20 restaurants this year outside of London, Britain’s food scene is no longer constrained by our major cities and five-star hotels, and many will be increasingly looking North when wondering where next to be fed.

Upstairs by Tom Shepherd is to open on 8 October.

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