The invention is directed to a process to prepare a char product and a syngas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a solid biomass feed comprising the following steps: (i) performing a continuously operated partial oxidation of the solid biomass feed at a gas temperature of between 700 and 1100° C. and at a solids residence time of less than 5 seconds, (ii) continuously separating the formed char particles as the char product from the formed gaseous fraction and (iii) subjecting the gaseous fraction obtained in step (ii) to a continuously operated partial oxidation and/or to a steam reforming to obtain the syngas mixture. The solid biomass feed has been obtained by torrefaction of a starting material comprising lignocellulose and is a sieve fraction wherein 99 wt % of the solid biomass particles is smaller than 2 mm.