Chef Rob Palmer to open first solo restaurant this spring

Rob Palmer, former head chef at Michelin-starred Peel’s at Hampton Manor, is to open his first solo restaurant this spring.

Palmer stepped down from his role at the hotel restaurant in February 2021 to focus on launching his new venture, named Toffs, in Solihull, near Birmingham.

It will seat 26 guests and serve a modern British tasting menu, similar to the style of cooking that saw Peel’s win a Michelin star while Palmer was head chef in 2016.

Palmer told The Caterer: “At Hampton Manor we had a walled garden that we used to get a lot of the produce from. So, my style there was not plant-based but vegetable-led in the sense that we used the garden as much as possible.

“[At Toffs] we’ll be using the seasons and the core of the produce, down to the meat, fish and vegetables will be sourced locally if we can or in Britain.”

Toffs will open for lunch Thursday to Saturday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Its tasting menu will have a maximum of seven courses with additions such as snacks, bread, and petit fours.

Palmer is launching Toffs without an investor, using only some financial help from family members.

He is hopeful his cooking can win another Michelin star, but this time in his own venture. “If I’ve done it before the dream is to do it again but for myself this time,” he said.

“Given how difficult it’s been the last 12 months to get off the ground I just want to get open now.”

Palmer is recruiting for front of house staff and hopes to hire another chef to eventually join him and two others in the kitchen.

The Toffs site is being fitted out and is expected to open mid-March, and Palmer hopes to open bookings in early February.