This time last year we received a lot of praise and thanks for our article on London’s best coffee shops for freelancers, an article that was as fun to write as it was caffeine-fuelled. In fact, it’s only in the last month or so that our pulse rates have returned to normal – which means it’s time to do it all again.
Since we recently launched in Birmingham, we thought an article on Birmingham’s best coffee shops for freelancers would be just as useful. After all, the modern day freelancer is nothing without a Google Map full of wifi-friendly java stops in their back pocket, so… let the buzz begin!
For the purposes of this article, we’ve very roughly split Birmingham into Central and Out of Town. By Central, we mean within five minutes’ walk of the Bullring. ‘Out of Town’ tends to stretch South towards what Brummies know as the ‘Bohemian’ part of the city – Moseley and Kings Heath in particular. If we’ve missed your favourite spot, drop us a line via Facebook or Twitter and we’ll add it in.
Coffee shops in Central Birmingham
Yorks Bakery Cafe
As far as Birmingham coffee shops go, they don’t get much busier or more popular than Yorks. Known as much for their stellar breakfasts as their barista brilliance, finding a seat at any point in the day can be difficult (insider tip: head to the back and poke your head around the wall – you’ll find extra seating there). However, if you can get in, it’s a great spot to hole up for the day. They’re very freelancer-friendly – nobody is going to chase you away while you nurse your coffee through the afternoon.
Cost of a flat white: £2.30
Address: 29/30 Stephenson Street, B2 4BH
Website: www.yorksbakerycafe.co.uk
6/8 Kafe
Something of an institution for Brummies who take their coffee seriously (Has Bean is at the top of their list), 6/8 Kafe is one for the discerning freelancer who likes their caffeine curated. The wifi and the welcome are also good, but be warned – it’s also known for its pumping soundtrack and regular guest appearances by performing musicians, so a party could spring up at any moment with you and your laptop at the centre of it all. Call it networking and go with the flow.
Cost of a flat white: £2.50
Address: 6/8 Temple Row, B2 4BH
Website: www.sixeightkafe.co.uk
Boston Tea Party
Bristolian hipster chic comes to Corporation Street. Birmingham’s elder statesman remember the area as the location of the almost mythical Plastic Factory record shop, which would surely survive a revival given the popularity of this BTP these days. While we’re not partial to putting chain shops on this list, Boston Tea Party is what you might call an ‘indie chain’ – still small enough to be hip, but big enough to provide a sense of familiarity wherever you see its blue sign and its distressed wood interiors. Arguably the most freelancer-friendly chain in the country, they positively welcome the laptop community with open arms, and may even ask you to blog for them while you’re in there. We’re big fans.
Cost of a flat white: £2.60
Address: 190 Corporation Street, B4 6QD
Website: www.bostonteaparty.co.uk
Saint Kitchen
One of Birmingham’s genuine freelance hubs, Saint Kitchen has been at the heart of the self-employed community for a few years now. They’re as passionate about their independence as they are their wonderful coffee (they roast Bristol’s Extract Coffee beans), so we’re delighted to be able to list them as one of Birmingham’s best coffee shops for freelancers. The food is also out of this world, for which we all have the proprietor, Will, to thank. The things this man can do with a smashed avocado are almost too good to be legal.
Cost of a flat white: £2.40
Address: 2, 61a St Paul’s Square, B3 1QS
Website: www.saintkitchen.com
Birmingham coffee shops out of town
Urban Coffee Company
The original Brummie coffee shop for Shoreditch hipsters who have strayed a little too far North, Urban Coffee Company has been fuelling a barista-led revolution in the second city since 2009. The original shop on Church Street is something of an institution these days, although it’s the Jewellery Quarter outlet that we’ve grown to love. It’s ideally suited for people watching and purchase pondering, although that’s probably not a good thing if you’re there to get some real work done.
Address: The Big Peg, Warstone Lane, B18 6NF
Website: www.urbanemporiums.com
Damascena
Getting out of the city centre, the obvious place to head for is the Moseley/ Kings Heath enclave, where freelancers pound the streets looking for strong wifi and stronger coffee. Damascena is invariably the place they’ll stop to take the weight off, and despite being a mere two years old, it’s already a firm favourite for locals and java pilgrims alike. Inspired by the city it is named after, you’ll find the menu stuffed with Middle Eastern delights, and while a flat white is readily available, it’s the cardamom-infused strong Arabic coffee that really makes the bus ride worth it.
Cost of a flat white: £2.50
Cost of a strong Arabic coffee: £1.80
Address: 133 Alcester Road, Moseley, B13 8JP
Website: www.damascena.co.uk
MAC
Brummies love it, non-Brummies quickly find out about it – the MAC is the very definition of a Birmingham institution. The cafe area spills out into a large open space that is ideal for freelancers looking for a nook or cranny to call their own. The wifi is absolutely free – none of the annoying faff that comes with having to register – and it is already very popular with local journalists, the bloggeratti and the city’s artists, making it the original creative hub. The coffee is Fair Trade and the menu locally sourced, and when you’re feeling weary of the laptop grind there’s the lovely Cannon Hill Park to stretch your legs in, right outside the door.
Cost of a filter coffee: £1.50
Address: Cannon Hill Park, B12 9QH
Website: www.macbirmingham.co.uk
Kitchen Garden Cafe
The marketing blurb describes Kings Heath’s Kitchen Garden Cafe as ‘a tranquil oasis’, and, for once, we would tend to agree. Serving delicious Fair Trade coffee and great food by day, Kitchen Garden turns into a Japanese pop-up restaurant and an intimate music/ stand-up venue in the evening, meaning that you can stay and work all day and then segue gracefully into an evening of… well, all sorts. And when we say that you can stay and work all day, we mean exactly that. Many’s the hour we’ve spent gazing out of the window at their lovely gardens working hard without being chased away. Definitely one of Birmingham’s best coffee shops.
Address: 17 York Road, Kings Heath, B14 7SA
Website: www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk
Black Lab
Maybe being a hybrid is a Kings Heath trend, but Black Lab – a stone’s throw from Kitchen Garden Cafe – operates as a coffee lovers’ haven during the day and a cocktail lovers’ hotspot once night falls. A great spot for a good roast and a decent blast of wifi, a visit is especially worthwhile on Mondays when top-notch coffee and cake comes in at just under a fiver. And if you’re feeling particularly creative you can stick around and join in an open-mic session once you’re done working.
Address: 100 High Street, Kings Heath, B14 7JZ
Website: Best to visit their Facebook page
Yumm Cafe
Only very fractionally out of town, you’ll find Yumm Cafe keeping the Digbeth faithful well caffeinated and heartily fed. As part of the Custard Factory, it’s ideally positioned for creative freelancers working in the arts scene, and the proprietors are very used to draping a healthy caffeine glow over the local laptop community.
Address: The Custard Factory, Digbeth, B9 4AT
Website: www.yummcafe.co.uk
Do you think we’ve missed one of Birmingham’s best coffee shops for freelancers? Drop us a line via Facebook or Twitter and we’ll try to add it in.
