The Godfather of Birmingham’s food scene is hanging up his apron after a career spanning 50 golden years, marked by Birmingham’s first-ever Michelin star. But don’t expect to find Andreas Antona shuffling around Sainsbury’s – he’s got plans!
The news came as a bit of a shock. Afterall, who hasn’t heard of Simpsons? The first restaurant in Birmingham to earn a Michelin star. And who hasn’t heard of Andreas Antona. The man behind the legendary eatery, where good food became exquisite food and aspiring young chefs have been nurtured to become Michelin stars in their own right.
So, yes, the news that Simpsons is up for sale and that ‘The Godfather’ of this city’s burgeoning food scene is ‘retiring’ is hard to process. But as Andreas explained: “I’ve had a great run, I’m not getting any younger, and I still have many things I want to do with my life before my time is up.”
Let’s face it, it would be mean to protest too loudly his decision to hang up his apron after all he has brought to our city, lifting its profile from frankly what was a bit of a culinary joke to a dining powerhouse topped only by the capital for Michelin star restaurants.
FOODIE ROOTS
Andreas’s foodie roots began when he trained in Germany and Switzerland during his early years as a chef. On returning to the UK he worked with luminaries such as Anton Mosimann and Michael Quinn, former head chef at London’s Ritz. Having spent 35 years in the kitchen, he gave up cheffing to dedicate 15 years to running Simpsons followed by The Cross at Kenilworth which he took over in 2013.
Andreas said: “Last year, I marked 50 years as a chef and restaurateur, having started out at Ealing College in 1974. I feel lucky to have witnessed the boom and development of our industry into the wonderful profession it is now. Following a lot of soul searching, I’ve realised there is never a good time to retire, but when something from within is telling you to re-evaluate and enjoy life, family, friends, travel and golf, you need to listen. It is this realisation that has made me decide to sell Simpsons, the restaurant where my life as a chef patron began.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not one for standing still, and I will continue, albeit on a part-time basis, with my other interests such as The Cross and SOKO Patisserie for the near future. I’d also like to invest more time in projects close to my heart. Simpsons has a big place in my heart and a sale of this importance will take time. We have a fantastic team in place and I want to be sure that the buyer shares our passion to continue and build on Simpsons’s success.”
AWARDS GALORE
Simpsons has achieved three decades of culinary excellence with Andreas at its helm. The restaurant has held a Michelin star since 1999, alongside a host of other industry awards and accolades, including being recognised by PETA as one of the top 10 restaurants for plant-based dining. As such, Simpsons has established itself as a favourite dining destination for foodies and revolutionised the dining scene in Birmingham. Carrying on that legacy is front and centre for Andreas moving forward. “While I realise the time has come for me to unwind a bit, it’s vital that Simpsons carries on and goes from strength to strength. So, it will need someone with huge energy, commitment and of course talent.”
Resilience is a fourth quality which Andreas alluded to. “Times are very tough right now across the industry with a difficult trading environment,” he said. “Restaurants are a barometer of the country’s well-being, and we are going through it.” Never one to duck an issue, Andreas is happy to stir the pot when it comes to his views on how the nation is run by government.
“The whole nation has been let down over many years by politicians of all persuasions,” her says. “Let down through their interference in business which does more harm, instead of letting business get on with it. We are over-taxed and over-regulated. You want a growing economy? I could achieve that in two fell swoops – abolish the business rate system and reduce VAT to around four or five percent for retail and hospitality. As it stands now, everyone will have to actually reduce their payroll due to increases in National Insurance.”
YOUNG GUNS
Despite this criticism, Andreas is hopeful for the hospitality industry in the longer term. “I’m confident that good times will come again,” he said. “There are some brilliant young chefs out there. But we do need to create a broader appeal to get kids into the industry with more training programmes and apprenticeships. The problem is that government doesn’t look at hospitality as an industry, even though we are the third biggest in the country. They focus too much on tech, while our industry gets taken for granted.
“I knew at 15 that I never wanted to go to university, so I went to catering college. My generation wanted to make things better and we never took the industry for granted. I admire kids today, but I don’t sense the same camaraderie that we had. I was at the beginning of a great Birmingham revolution which became a golden era. Looking back on my career, I wouldn’t change anything.”
While Andreas is ‘officially retiring’ he says that “the Greek in me is to always carry on”. He adds: “I may have hung up my apron but you won’t see me shuffling around Sainsbury’s all day long or retiring to the garden. I will still be getting stuck in and involved – maybe through mentoring or consultancy.”
Of Brum in general, he says: “It looks buoyant, lots of cranes and plenty of building. There’s lots of different, ethnic restaurants and a great catering college. So, lots to be positive about!”