James Adams has spent the past five years on a quest to find Birmingham's best roast dinner, and not even 30-degree heat, the cost-of-living crisis, or a chef who sent him angry messages has been able to stop him. The 29-year-old Jewellery Quarter resident, affectionately known as “Roast Man” by his friends, has reviewed Sunday roasts across the city since 2021, posting his verdicts on his private Instagram story.
Speaking to Birmingham Live, James explained that the summer weather has never put him off a good roast. “The key is Bloody Mary cocktails and beers, and you’ve got to sit outside,” he said.
How the Roast Man habit started
James’s crusade began five years ago when he and a friend visited The Old Crown in Digbeth for a roast. After uploading his review to his Instagram story, he was surprised by the reaction from followers and decided to keep going. At the time, TikTok food influencers had not yet taken over, and James saw a gap for a regular guy finding the best roast in Birmingham.
“It was before the era of TikTok food influencers and I wanted to try to find the best roast in Brum,” said the 29-year-old. “A roast is up there with my favourite meals but I’m a terrible cook, that's why I go out and pay for them.”
After the first couple of posts, the likes started rolling in. “I’d post them on Instagram and after the first couple, I started getting tons of likes on my story so I carried on and started reviewing each week,” he added.
From historic pubs to vegan roasts
James typically scouts places on his own, but his followers have become his eyes and ears, recommending venues across Birmingham. He tends to gravitate toward historic pubs and traditional boozers, zig-zagging between them to sample their Sunday menus.
“I usually try and go to any good boozer in Birmingham, any historic pub tends to have a roast so I’ve been zig-zagging between all the pubs in the city and trying all the roasts,” he said.
His housemate often joins him and acts as a stern critic. “My housemate says I’m too generous but when you’re reviewing pubs and small businesses you’ve got to be kind but fair,” James said. “I’ve also found my ratings tend to go up when I’m hungover because I’m starving and shovelling meat into my face.”
The anatomy of a perfect roast
Over the years, James has developed clear criteria for a top-rated roast. He always orders pork belly, which he believes is the hardest meat to get right. A menu featuring something special meat-wise already earns plus points.
“I always get pork belly because I feel it's the hardest to do. I like something special meat-wise so any menu with that is already getting plus points,” he explained.
Sides matter too. “Potatoes need to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, gravy not too thin and bonus points for vegetable selection. I like places that have a variety of veg, I prefer a few textures,” he said.
His rating system has evolved. “I used to be really scientific and compare prices of places but nowadays it's more of a feeling. I’ll go and eat and if it feels good, I’ll give it a higher rating.”
Angry chefs and the cost of a good roast
James keeps his reviews on a private social media account and has only been recognised in public once. That low profile has not protected him from criticism, however.
“I reviewed a roast a couple of years ago and it was criminal. I put it on my story and within a few hours, the chef had seen it somehow and he sent me paragraph messages saying I was trying to derail his career,” James revealed.
The cost-of-living crisis has added another challenge. James says he now has to save up for the more expensive places. “I have to save for the expensive ones because of the cost. I’m always eager to try them but I find it leaves me disappointed. A roast should be £15 to £20 so when they come to £40 for one person, it’s disheartening but they’re always worth trying.”
Roast Man’s current favourites
Asked for his top picks, James did not hesitate. “I moved to the Jewellery Quarter a couple of years ago and 1000 Trades is definitely the best roast around the area. The Ruin in Digbeth does an excellent one too. We also went to Pasture recently as well and they do an incredible Bloody Mary beef jus.”
He is also open to different interpretations. He has tried a Caribbean roast at Temper & Brown in the Jewellery Quarter and is a fan of the vegan roast at The Rainbow in Digbeth, where the entire menu is plant-based. “They made a king oyster mushroom which was almost like a beef roulade. It was unbelievable,” he said.
Despite the nickname and his growing reputation among friends, James is not chasing fame. “I do it for my mates, but it’s nice when people give me feedback after visiting places I’ve been to. It’s a bit of fun and they all get involved and enjoy it,” he explained.
