in 2005, "opus" was opened by entrepreneur ann tonks and chef director david colcombe in cornwall street and the restaurant subsequently won several awards as a modern british restaurant. david colcombe left his post there in 2015. in his training he had studied at solihull college and afterward under anton mosimann at the dorchester hotel in london and then the lygon arms in broadway, worcestershire. he later worked at the former swallow hotel in birmingham (now the marriott hotel). after colcombe's departure, birmingham-born ben ternent was promoted in may 2015 from head chef to executive chef at opus. the restaurant put a particular emphasis on "sustainability" of foods.