[Disclosure: I paid in full at Poms. They didn’t know I would be blogging about them]
One of the beautiful things about restaurants, bars, cafes, and pretty much every hospitality business is that they’re kind of living creatures. They grow, change and evolve and improve. Sometimes, sadly, they deteriorate and die. But regardless, they never stay still. They’re not set in stone, unchanged from year to year.
That’s the reason that while reviews like this are helpful, they should be taken with a pinch of salt. Yes, even mine. Because what was good one day, week, month or year, could be less good the next. Or significantly better – like Poms in Lichfield, which I’m happy to say in July 2025 is pretty darn good.
Rewind a decade – the year Poms opened – and I wrote a blog post saying I wasn’t over-awed by it. Unfair maybe, in hindsight, given it had just opened. But I’ve always been honest on this blog, and I still am.
Since then I’ve heard more than one review that flies in the face of my initial negativity, and the fact that Poms now has not one, but four, venues is fairly good evidence of its popularity. And to be clear, the only reason it’s taken me a decade to get back to it is more logistics and geography than a conscious decision NOT to go. But having finally returned, I’ll admit I’ve left it far too long.
The latest visit was on a sunny Saturday, when Lichfield was bustling with people and Poms’ popularity was obvious due to the full tables outside and inside. Unsurprising really, given we all love brunch on a Saturday, but a positive sign.
It’s a colourful, bouncy, vibrant place, mirrored by service that has all the same attributes. After walking past mid-morning and sensible booking for lunch, we eagerly scanned through a menu that combines an all-day brunch offering with big and small plates with more of a lunchy feel. The Poms version of a classic full English, a range of Benedicts, Pancakes, french toast and avocado toast nestle alongside a burger, a Cuban pork sandwich and Packington bacon chop and fresh options like salads and a burrito bowl.
We’re hungry, but also conscious that portions look to be quite generous, so decide to opt for one big plate and one little plate to share, with scope to order more if we’re not fit to burst (which obviously we are). The Asian pork hash is as good as it sounds.
The pork is fall-apart, laced with Asian fragrance and flavour and a hefty hit of star anise that’s noticeable but not overwhelming. It’s perched on top of a potato rosti that’s soft inside but encased in a satisfyingly crispy crust. Spring onion adds crunch and freshness, while sriracha mayo brings a creamy heat that adds another layer of flavour to the pork, along with an extra texture when a mouthful’s dipped into it.
It’s so good I nearly forget we’re sharing and plough through the whole lot. Our second dish had jumped out of the menu as one we both wanted – lamb kofta gyros – but I’m not convinced it can live up to the hash.
Except it pretty much does. Especially the kofta. The lamb’s well seasoned, tender, cooked right. The whole thing is served open, the filling perched on top of the flatbread rather than wrapped up in traditional Greek takeaway style.
Forget simple shredded lettuce and some tomato and sauces. Here, the lamb is complimented by cucumber that’s been pickled, packing an acidic punch. Pomegranate seeds pop with a bit of sweetness and bring a freshness to each mouthfull to balance out the fatty meat and carb-heavy fries and bread. There’s savoury, smooth hummus, fresh, lactic mint yoghurt, and sweet, warm chilli jam.
The whole thing is an elevated version of your classic gyros. There are flavours galore, and they all party together to create a brilliant combination that’s as moreish as the hash. It’s a big old portion, plenty big enough for one and fine for us two.
We wash lunch down with a soft drinks – including a lovely iced tea for me – but there’s the option of cocktails and other tipples if we wanted to make it a boozy lunch. Or the obvious coffees and other hot drinks guaranteed to cover the breakfast and brunch crowd as well as any long lunch fans.
It’s a good lunch and memorable for all the right reasons. Now in its 10th year, Poms is clearly a popular choice in the Lichfield dining scene, and quite rightly so. It serves popular food that’s not just style over substance, but delivers on flavour. The operation is efficient, the staff friendly, the menu broad and appealing.
With that in mind, it’s time to ignore the old review and take this one as an updated version and a reminder that the good places don’t stand still. They grow, they improve, and they become unrecognisable – often in a great way. Which is why I’m happy to admit that the Poms of 2025 is not the same Poms I went to all those years ago, and testament to what has clearly been a decade of building, growing and achieving. And long may it last.
