It isn’t a location that instantly springs to mind when planning a city break. But it looks as though 2012 is set to be the year that Birmingham steps into the travel spotlight.
The UK’s second city has ranked 19th in the New York Times list of “The 45 Places to Go in 2012” - a place ahead of the final frontier itself – space.
Fair enough, London claims 4th places in the list, what with the Olympics, Diamond Jubilee and Charles Dickens, though where’s the surprise in that? What makes Birmingham’s inclusion in the list such a big deal is the reason behind it - food.
The article cites last year’s announcement by Olive Magazine that Birmingham was the UK’s “foodiest town”. The city’s annual Food Fest, culinary heritage and trio of Michelin-starred chefs had impressed judges, who felt that the city was “underestimated” within the foodie community.
Birmingham’s most famous culinary export, the balti, received a name check in the NYT listing, whilst ritzy restaurants including Aktar Islam’s award-winning Lasan and Glyn Purnell’sPurnell’s were given as examples of the city’s home grown food talent.
Alas, the NYT Travel Guide for the city fails to do it justice – with a predictable, dated and flawed list of suggestions. Away from the big names, Birmingham has plenty to offer the traveller with an appetite. Here’s BitchBuzz’s alternative foodie guide to the UK’s second city.
Shop
Great Western Arcade: This place is somewhere truly special. Built in 1876, the arcade oozes grandiose Victorian charm, with tiles floors, fancy light fittings and gilt edged paintwork. It is home to several Birmingham food hotspots: Anderson and Hill – a delicatessen with an impressive selection of local gourmet products; Chouchoute Chocolate – a luxurious chocolate shop owned by a chocolatier who trained at Parisian food specialists Fauchon; The Bread Collection – a boutique bakery specialising in artisanal bread and The Whisky Shop – Birmingham’s only specialist Whisky retailer.
Great Western Arcade, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B2 5HU.
Farmers Markets: When in the heart of the city centre, it is easy to forget that the countryside is right on Birmingham’s doorstep. Head out to the suburbs on a Saturday morning and you’ll find plenty of reminders. There is a thriving Farmers Market scene across the city, with local producers offering quality and creative goodies to please the pickiest palates. Moseley Farmers Market, held on the fourth Sunday of every month, is well worth a visit to soak up the artsy village vibes and scoff some top-notch street food.
Something Sweet
Fallen Angel Bakery: Harborne is a prosperous suburb, with a high street full of charming restaurants and cosy pubs. It is a fitting home for this cutesy cupcake bakery. The menu includes classics like Red Velvet, Vanilla and Chocolate. There are also some more unusual flavour combinations like Pineapple and Lemongrass; Peaches and Cream; and Lemon and Rose. The chocolate brownies are well worth tucking into, striking a perfect balance of fudgy sweetness.
Fallen Angel Bakery, 77 High Street, Harborne, Birmingham, B17 9NS.
Solihull branch: 61 High Street, Solihull. Birmingham, B91 3SW.
Cyber Candy: A visit to Cyber Candy is a visual barrage of bright colours and wacky packaging. The shop attracts a diverse clientele, from school kids to sci-fi geeks. They are all there to spend their hard earned pocket money/wages on hard-to-find sweets from around the worls. Searching for some super rare Sanrio gummies on import from Japan? Lip balm that tastes like Mountain Dew? Moomin chewing gum? Get down to Cyber Candy. You’ll find it there, plus a whole load more crazy candy.
Cyber Candy, 80 Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6AB. (Also branches in London and Brighton).
Swig
Coffee shops: Whilst there are plenty of Starbucks and Costas dotted around the city centre, Birmingham abounds with quirky independent coffee shops. In fact, it is fair to say that there is a thriving coffee community, with each shop priding itself on their signature blends and flavour combinations. Top spots in the city centre include Café Blend with their comprehensive menu including coffee cocktails and caffeine free options and the highly hip 6/8 Kafe. Heading towards the Jewellery Quarter, you’ll find Brewsmiths - a friendly and relaxed neighbourhood café with an excellent selection of rare teas and coffees, as well as delicious handmade cakes.
Café Blend, Orion Building, 90 Navigation Street, Birmingham, B5 4AA.
6/8 Kafe, 6/8 Temple Row, Birmingham, B2 5HG.
Brewsmiths, Unit 16, Queensway Arches, 214 Livery Street, Birmingham, B3 1EU.
Cocktails: There was a time when a night out in Birmingham involved swigging cheap alcopops and lager in bland chain bars on the notorious Broad Street. Thankfully, those days are long gone and there are plenty of classy and cool bars to be discovered, many with impressive cocktail menus. The newest arrival is Ginger’s – an upscale bar, offering a magical menu of weird and wonderful flavours. It epitomises the Birmingham food and drink renaissance. In recent years, Bitters and Twisted have established themselves as the city’s cocktail masters, with five venues in the city. The Island Bar was the first to open and still offers an unbeatable upbeat night of cocktail swigging fun. The Jekyll and Hyde offers a quieter and more intimate environment, with the gin cocktail teapots ideal to share with friends.
Ginger's Bar at The Asquith, 11 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 3NY.
The Island Bar, 14-16 Suffolk Street, Birmingham, B1 1 LT.
The Jekyll and Hyde, 28 Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6BJ.
Main image via Fiona Ridger's Flickr. Great Western Arcade image via Birmingham Retail Quarter's Flickr.