The restaurant in Drury Lane, Solihull is well-known for its quintessential modern and classic British cooking techniques and flavours. The AA guide anonymous inspector described the restaurant and its food as “Dishes are well-balanced and precisely executed, with some really inspiring flavour combinations showcasing the abilities of the chef”.

Head chef Rob grew up in Castle Bromwich. After leaving Park Hall school at 16, Rob wanted to go straight into work as a chef and gained an apprenticeship at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole where he worked for four years. He then wanted a change from the large hotel environment and went to work at The Forest Hotel in Dorridge, Solihull, which at the time had always achieved two Rosette status from the AA guide. After just under three years he left to go and work at Hampton Manor as Junior sous chef under former Michelin starred chef Martyn Pearn.

Whilst at Hampton Manor Rob soon worked his way to sous chef and was instrumental in helping Martyn build a young dynamic and ambitious team of chefs. Then in 2014, Rob was given the head chef job after Martyn had moved. Two years later in 2016, although Rob had never worked in a kitchen that held a Michelin star, him and his team achieved the prestigious status of one Michelin star, the first ever for Solihull. In the same week they were also awarded four Rosettes from the AA guide, again the first for Solihull and Birmingham. Rob and his ever changing team continued to achieve the status of one Michelin star and four rosettes up until leaving in early 2021 to set up his first solo venture ‘Toffs by Rob Palmer’.

Speaking on the restaurant’s achievement, Rob said: “Myself and the team are super proud to have achieved three AA rosettes. It is a credit to all the hard work the team have put in since opening our doors almost two years ago. It’s an amazing way to start the year and something to build up on for the future. We are all so passionate about what we do and accolades help inspire us to push our cooking and innovation further and further to create amazing experiences for our guests.”