What’s the tea on HeyBrew? Everything you need to know on Selly Oak’s new cafe

A new and colourful coffee shop has opened its doors to Selly Oak high street. HeyBrew Espresso, in a shop that was previously a horsebox business, opened its doors in Selly Oak on the 5^th of August 2022.

Selly Oak was lacking a cute cafe, a place where students could go to fuel their caffeine addictions, while getting some much-needed work done. HeyBrew fits that criteria perfectly.

HeyBrew has constantly been busy with locals and students since it opened. I wanted to see what the fuss was about, so I visited with a friend. Here is how it went, and my honest review of brand new Birmingham coffee shop, HeyBrew:

The Wake Up Call Bagel with banana and Nutella and the Biscoff Cookie Pie

When you enter, you choose a table (make sure to take note of your table number) and then once you are ready you go to the counter to order. In my opinion, cafes that make you go up to order function better as a whole. It cuts out time while waiting to order and it eliminates potential errors for your order to be put through wrong.

All of the menu items are listed on the wall or presented on a display counter to the left of the till. The menu is not extensive by any means, it’s mainly coffee, cakes and bagels, but it provides enough for a coffee shop of its size.

After you have ordered and paid for your items you return to your table and the staff bring your order to you.

In terms of the quality of the product itself, there are not any complaints. The bagels are decently sized for the price, have lots of filling and a small portion of tortillas. The coffee is on the expensive side at £3.30 for a latte in a small glass. However, the coffee is good quality and tastes great, plus the latte art is always a fun bonus!

The Latte and New Yorker Bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese with tortillas

Now for the serious part of the HeyBrew in Birmingham review, the pros and cons:

Pros:

• The staff are always so polite and friendly. Service is quick and the staff are happy to have a chat or answer any questions you may have.
• They have alternative milk available and while I do not personally drink alternative milk, Molly enjoyed an almond milk hot chocolate and said “most almond milk hot chocolates are far too sweet, but this one was perfect!”
• They also provide carafes of water that you can help yourself to at any time.
• The whole place is so well presented, clean and super modern.
• You never feel rushed in there, they are happy for you to do work in there for as long as you want, perfect for students! (and there is free Wifi available!)

Cons:

• The latte glasses are regular drinking glasses, making them harder to grip and there’s a risk of burning if you pick it up too soon.
• The café did not seem to be wheelchair accessible. (However, HeyBrew told The Tab Brum it is wheelchair accessible, with ramps available on request, and it plans on correcting the uncertainty in future with signage.)
• The menus are quite small and so is the writing so it may be difficult for the visually impaired to view them.
• The menu is limited, so I am excited to see if they expand this in the future.

My overall review of the Birmingham coffee shop is, I like HeyBrew a latte! All complaints are minor and so easily fixable. I loved it so much that I have been back three times since my original visit. As a lover of the cosy cafe while doing work aesthetic I will definitely become a regular of this adorable place.

The Tab Birmingham reached out to HeyBrew for comment. They responded by saying the glasses are just “step-ins” at the moment and that they will be replaced with their staple blue cups once they get enough supply.

In addition, they recognised that it is not clear that they actually are wheelchair accessible and ramps are available upon request, which they plan on correcting in the future with signage. In terms of the size of the menu, Heybrew were waiting for feedback from the public before expanding their menu, however, as the general response has been positive, it seems as though exciting additions will be added to their menu soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

Their final comment read: “It’s overwhelming, to say the least, how lovely the response has been! It’s something we feel Selly has needed for a long time now. We love how welcoming everyone has been and we’re just happy to be bringing some ace coffee […] into Selly.”

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