The story
The Boat in Chasetown, at Walsall Road, Lichfield, WS14 0BU, is a Modern British restaurant that The Good Food Guide rated Very Good for 2026. Sustainability runs through the whole operation, from the kitchen to the dining room.
Liam Dillon leads the kitchen, and his approach to waste and seasonality shapes the menu. Menu covers are printed on seaweed paper, and the team works with compost heaps, aquaponics and minimum-waste cooking. The Modern British plates draw on garden pickles, Cannock Chase venison and raw honey from the restaurant's own hives, served on contemporary ceramic.
The whitewashed building sits on a busy main road near the Staffordshire Canal, but the open-plan interior is well insulated. A recent refurbishment brought in more wood, terrariums and a subtle botanical theme. Staff are attentive without being pushy, and the drinks list leans toward biodynamic, organic and locally crafted producers.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Say it loud. Say it proud. Sustainability is the word at this admirable restaurant and micro-farm a few miles from Lichfield. The whitewashed Boat sits on a busy main road close to the Staffordshire Canal, but some architectural whizz has cast a Tardis-like spell over the well-insulated open-plan interior. Following a recent refurb, the place now has a lighter, warmer, more natural aesthetic with plentiful use of wood, terrariums and a subtle botanical theme running through the dining room. From menu covers printed on seaweed paper to compost heaps, aquaponics and minimum-waste cooking, Liam Dillon is a ‘hugely passionate chef’ who clearly takes his environmental philosophy seriously. Seasonality is a given, from garden pickles and Cannock Chase venison to raw honey from the Boat’s own hives, and the result is a roll call of imaginative and highly stylised ideas served on contemporary ceramic plates. It may be complex stuff, but clarity of flavour is one of the kitchen’s hallmarks. The creative drinks list emphasises biodynamic, organic and locally crafted selections, all served by delightfully attentive staff who are happy to chat but never seem pushy or intrusive.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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