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‘Bristol’s once enviable food scene is stagnating’
Supposedly in parts of Bristol there is a low frequency sound that has irritated some residents for years. It’s known as the Bristol hum. If we could amplify this hum, it might reveal a chorus of thousands murmuring in unison: “Bristol is exceptional,” “I adore Bristol,” “Such an incredible city, don’t you think?”
I’m kidding, obviously, but the reality is that Bristol does exist in an echo chamber. We’ve all participated in those vaguely effusive conversations extolling our city’s virtues. Don’t get me wrong – I love Bristol as much as the next person. Like many people, I moved here for university and have stayed ever since. Nevertheless, it’s worth pondering whether our collective focus on Bristol’s greatness has sometimes obscured avenues for its improvement.
The problem extends to every corner of our city. While I might not be as intimately acquainted with public transport troubles, gentrification quandaries and other urban challenges as I ought to be, I can certainly speak to matters of food and culinary establishments.
I could talk for days about the formidable restaurants, chefs and food culture that we have in Bristol. We have a lot to be proud of. But our city’s food scene is not commanding the national attention it once was.
That doesn’t mean there are not great restaurants here – there are. There are also great initiatives for training new chefs. But comparisons to where Bristol was ten years ago, with the likes of Wallfish, Birch and Culinaria, undeniably exposes a decline.
Wallfish bistro before it closed in 2018 – photo: Bristol24/7
But how has this come to pass? Bristol, with its outer-London rent prices and lack of support from the council (see Cotham Hill pedestrianisation reverse or vertical drinking crackdown), maybe is not as appealing an option for opening a restaurant or food business as it once might have been.
Or perhaps it’s that for a while, Bristol was punching above its weight. A more populous city like Manchester or Birmingham is likely to be able to sustain a larger and more diverse restaurant scene and therefore by the process of natural selection a greater proportion of original and first-rate restaurants.
Could it be that our local media falls short in promoting and critically analysing our food landscape? Unlike Bristol, cities like Manchester and Birmingham host numerous independent food-focused publications, effectively bridging the gap between discerning diners and truly exceptional eateries.
I am firmly of the opinion that you can love something deeply and at the same time criticise it constructively. I ardently hope for Bristol’s restaurant scene to rank among the world’s finest, but I just don’t think we get there by refusing to acknowledge its stagnation.
Meg Houghton-Gilmour is Bristol24/7’s Head of Audience. Subscribe to her weekly food and drink newsletter here.
Main photo: Meg at the Ethicurean – Bristol24/7
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- Eating out on Stapleton Road
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