Chef Tom Kerridge, Birmingham Town Hall - review

Most well known as the owner of the two Michelin starred gastro pub The Hand and Flowers, Tom Kerridge visited Birmingham Town Hall in promotion of his latest book Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet.

After losing eleven stone over a period of three years, Kerridge has decided to document his journey and share with the general public how he lost such an enormous amount of weight.

Based on the low carbohydrate approach, Kerridge took the evening to discuss his mindset and how he moved from substance in food towards an emphasis on strong and overpowering flavours.

He also discussed in depth his reputation as the party animal of the culinary scene and how his cold turkey approach to alcohol consumption is like winning a football match.

A warm and relatable character, Kerridge had the audience in fits of laughter amongst his anecdotes whilst the evening was excellently curated and led by food writer Xanthe Clay.

Kerridge also took the time to reflect on the growth in the Birmingham food scene, citing Purnells and Simpsons as the leaders in an ever evolving and growing food destination over the last number of years.

The second half of the evening allowed audience members to ask questions, including an amusing gentleman that asked how they can manage to get a reservation at The Hand and Flowers, which is virtually always fully booked.

A highly motivating and revealing evening, it's a credit to both Foyles and the Town Hall for attracting such varied and interesting guests to the city.

By Dan Earl