I went back home for an evening this week, to see my family and on my way back up to Lincoln I had some time to kill and breakfast to find. This meant that I ended up spending an hour in Birmingham, this morning. After hunting around for somewhere that wasn’t a chain I stumbled upon a very independent coffee shop; 6/8 Kafé.
Hidden behind the mass of construction that is currently happening in the middle of Birmingham is 6/8 Kafé. This little independent coffee shop gave a great impression when I found it, because on the front window it had the words “independent coffee shop.” These three words seemed like a good sign so I happily entered.
As I walked in I noticed a sign on the door advertising a live music night, which I thought was a great idea. Coffee and live music? Fantastic! Then once inside I realised that the café regularly held music events and had a basement which could be hired out. As a huge music fan I thought this was a great idea.
I stood at the counter and was greeted by a friendly member of staff, eager to take my order. Once again, as I have been in the past, I was stunned by the variety of drinks on offer. They have a huge range of coffees and teas to choose from, all freshly ground or pressed. I opted for an 8oz filter coffee and I was informed that the blend that they were currently using was called Jailbreak, which sounded good to me.
I sat down at one of the single tables and waited for my coffee to be brought over. Once I was settled in, it was time for the tasting. The actual coffee was very nice, different to blends that I had had in the past. Personally I prefer a stronger taste, but the Jailbreak blend had a particular flavour that I couldn’t quite pin down. The coffee cost me £2.60, which for a filter coffee may seem like a lot, but I could tell how fresh it was and that they clearly knew what they were doing when it came to coffee.
I sipped my drink and enjoyed a bit of people watching as the busy folk of Birmingham came in and out collecting morning
coffees and something to eat. The food range wasn’t massive, but it looked very fresh and very health. Offering porridge and pastries for breakfast, and even vegan options, which is something you don’t see that often, especially not in the chain stores.
I think it’s really important for independent coffee shops to be proud of being independent in a time where you can’t walk down a high street without seeing at least one of the many chain stores. 6/8 Kafé really embrace their independence and show that it can be done, and done well.
With their live music events, art galleries and vegan food, 6/8 Kafé is a hipsters paradise, and I’m not ashamed to say I loved it.
Coffee: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Overall: 8.5/10
If you want to find out more about 6/8 Kafé you can visit their website here:
http://www.sixeightkafe.co.uk/
Thanks for reading, let me know what you think in the comments section below.
An Intrepid Insight 