February 2026

College of Food grad gains prestigious Michelin star for Lichfield restaurant

By Sean Madden and Claire Huggins

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A former pub on the side of a road in Lichfield has been transformed into a Michelin-starred eatery at the hands of a University College Birmingham graduate.

College of Food alumnus Liam Dillon's restaurant, The Boat, has this week been awarded its first Michelin star.

Once considered a regular roadside pub, the site now boasts a 'micro farm' and canal-side fine dining.

At a ceremony in Dublin on Monday night, the kitchen, run by the former Culinary Arts Management foundation degree student, was one of only two Midlands venues to be newly awarded a star.

Sustainability, self-sufficiency and circularity form a significant part of the restaurant’s ethos, with the on-site farm providing free-range eggs from hens, beehives to support pollination, and polytunnels and vegetable patches growing year-round crops. Since opening in 2017, it has become renowned for its modern British cuisine and its relationship with local producers.

"It feels like the stars have aligned. The whole team has worked very hard to improve our offering, and the hard work has paid off."

Liam Dillon Chef owner, The Boat

After graduating from the College of Food, Liam worked in some of the country’s best restaurants, starting in London at the Michelin-starred The Berkeley, by Marcus Wareing, Five Fields in Chelsea, and Story by Tom Sellers, which boasts two stars of its own.

He then worked internationally at Quay in Sydney, Noma in Copenhagen, the two Michelin-starred Gilt and three-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York, before returning to his hometown of Lichfield.

Speaking on the evening of the ceremony, Liam said: "It feels like the stars have aligned. We were overwhelmed to get the invite to the awards on the Boat’s ninth birthday. It’s still sinking in.

"The whole team has worked very hard to improve our offering, and the hard work has paid off. I’m so so proud of the team and to get a star in a city I grew up in is a mental feeling.”

Alumni success is always a significant and poignant moment for the University and in Liam's case his training with us has proved to be the start of a real recipe for success.

"We pride ourselves in both producing and working with the best," said Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor.

"Liam is a great role model and an inspiration for all of our students. He has shown that passion, dedication and hard work really pays off. On behalf of UCB, I'd like to wish him and his team many congratulations and every success for the future."

Find out more about the courses available at Birmingham College of Food.