Carters of Moseley

“We aim to take the diner on a journey of discovery, helping people to learn about eating seasonally, sustainably, and responsibly – considering the provenance of ingredients and how human consumption affects the world we live in. Central to the cooking are British rare breeds, sustainable seafood, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, and wild food from the UK. There is particular attention to foraged ingredients indigenous to the UK. Carters aims to treat all ingredients with respect and admiration by limiting waste with a strong nose-to-tail dining ethos.”

Lichfield asparagus with Berkswell and three-cornered leek; Orkney scallop with grilled cream and Exmoor caviar; and Cornish ray with potato and sea truffle.

So great is their commitment to limiting foreign ingredients in their kitchen, that they do not serve lemon in the restaurant, instead using such substitutes as dock stems, sorrel, lemon verbena, and... ants! We all know that insects as wide-scale sustainable protein lie ahead, but to see formic acid as an alternative to citric, well, that’s just visionary. They also use fig leaves to replace the flavour of coconut and plum stones for the taste of almond, although they have found a local UK grower of almonds. They work closely with producers capable of growing typically foreign ingredients in the UK, often pushing the experimental development themselves for things like Kaffir lime, wasabi, and yuzu. Inspirational.