Family-run Wolverhampton restaurant keeps impressing critics to win latest prestigious award
A family-run city centre restaurant which prides itself on quality has been recognised with another industry award.
Bilash in Wolverhampton has received the Hardens certificate of achievement, which means for the 23rd year it will be included in one of the four worldwide guides that are industry-recognised, alongside the Michelin Guide, AA Guide and the Which Good Food Guide.
Owner Mo Khan said the Harden's Guide was one of the four awards that restaurants didn't pay for and spoke about the process the restaurant went through.
He said: "You get audited by food inspectors who come in and pay their way and once they've paid for the meal, they show you their identification.
"They will then ask to speak to the head chef and they'll have done their homework beforehand and will know who the chef is, who the maitre d' is, who front of house is and then they will come into the kitchen as they want to see how we produce our food and how it is kept fresh.
"It's a vigorous check, but worth it as it's the 23rd year we've been included in the guide and, for a small, family-run establishment, it means so much and we're very fortunate to be able to serve our customers what we serve as we're very high end and everything is freshly cooked."
The award is the latest for the restaurant, which has been part of the city centre on Cheapside for 44 years.
It also enjoyed fame of a different kind during the week after a Paul Weller lookalike was spotted eating in the restaurant, on the same day as the Modfather's appearance at the Halls.
Mr Khan said: "The guy was one of many people who were dressed like him and was happy to pretend to be Paul Weller, so we took advantage of it and did a bit of PR with him, which he was happy to do.
"He actually signed a few shirts as people thought it was actually Paul Weller and he was joking about how he should get the plastic surgery to look like him.
"With stuff like this, it's good to have a laugh and you need to have a laugh as, since Covid, everything has been so serious and people are scared of meeting other people, but when they come through our doors, we try to make it extra special and bring back the good vibes."
Mr Khan said the awards and accolades were a nice acknowledgement of the work the restaurant continued to do.
He said: "If we can work and prove that we are still good enough for the Michelin, for the AA and the Harden's, then that's great and are our main intentions.
"When you get recognised for your good work, then it makes it all worth it and when I got the certificate the other day, I remember thinking that I must be doing something right."
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