The keenly-priced kebab concept will trade from a newly-created kitchen within well-known live music pub Hare & Hounds, which is just down the road from Carter’s Michelin-starred flagship in the suburb of King’s Heath.
The first One Star Döner Bar launched in Manchester’s Escape to Freight Island last year under a franchise deal but is now owned and run by its creator directly.
The Birmingham iteration of One Star Döner Bar will also be fully owned by Carter, who is partnering with friend and Hare & Hounds operator Adam Regan to get the project off the ground.
The chef says he is actively looking at sites in London for the concept and hopes to open his first site in the capital in 2023.
“We’ve got the fundamentals right and a good head chef who has been able to push it and get all the recipes sharp,” he says. “It’s been good to have a separate thing that’s more accessible - our kebabs costs about £12 - especially as fine dining is quite tough at the moment.”
One Star Döner Bar was born from one of Carter’s side projects during lockdown and initially operated from Carter’s of Moseley, which he runs with his partner Holly Jackson.
The concept was inspired by Berlin’s Gemüse Kebab, which Carter testifies is one of the best dishes he has ever eaten.
One Star Döner Bar is also inspired by the rave scene, a subculture close to Carter’s heart, with the kebabs described as ‘the perfect post-rave sustenance’ especially when served with the chef’s signature ‘potato smileys’.
The menu at the Birmingham site will be tight, taking in two kebabs and two shawarmas, made from the same high-quality ingredients as Carters of Moseley, including lamb from Launceston, Cornwall, Tamworth mortadella and Cotswold white chicken.
Carter added: “I am super chuffed to bring One Star Döner Bar home to Birmingham. Our kebabs are as good at 2pm as they are at 2am, and I can’t think of anywhere better suited than the iconic Hare & Hounds to serve them. Adam and I have hoped to collaborate for a long time and it feels great to work together to see this become a reality.”
