Coffee Birmingham

We are delighted to confirm Midlands Discovery Tours as a supporter of Coffee Birmingham. As part of our activities for Saturday 29th September, Midlands Discovery Tours will be running a special tour – more info to come!

Midlands Discovery Tours is a small, independent tour company run by two Blue Badge tourist guides, specialising in providing professional and friendly tours throughout the Midlands.

They operate a range of public walking tours in Birmingham every weekend of the year, with city tours providing a great introduction and themed walks exploring the city in more depth.  They aim to provide both new visitors and lifelong residents with an enjoyable and informative experience of what our city has to offer.

Alongside their public tours, they are available for private bookings for groups of any size and can tailor a tour to any requirements.  They have worked extensively with student groups, community organisations, businesses and individuals and have run Birmingham Ghost Walks for the past three years, which operate twice a month in Birmingham and have expanded to Sutton Coldfield and Warwick, where we run tours every three months.

We are so happy to be working with them because they really help people to discover and enjoy everything that makes Birmingham such a fascinating place, and they see themselves very much (and rightly so) in the role of unofficial ambassadors for the city.

For these and many more reasons, they are an integral part of the independent business community.

With thanks to Ian Braisby for his help.

For more info: http://www.midlandsdiscoverytours.co.uk/

Coffee Birmingham is a new movement celebrating all things related to independent coffee and independent culture in Birmingham which culminated in the launch of the Declaration of Independents on Wednesday 4th July and the inaugural Coffee Birmingham event, to be held on Saturday 29th September 2012.

Coffee Birmingham is a celebration of local independents – coffee shops, food, produce, market traders, community, experience and fun.

We are looking for a Volunteer Event Manager to be part of this exciting movement and to drive future events and activities.

Job Description
Responsible for driving and ensuring the smooth running of events
Taking ownership on (and driving forward) creative ideas
Engaging with customers and businesses
Brainstorming creative ideas and providing input into marketing and events

Key Skills Required   
Good customer facing skills
Experience of working on live events
Interest in pursuing a career in marketing, events, hospitality or the coffee industry
Creative and quick thinking

Salary     
Unpaid but pre-agreed expenses will be paid

Deadline
Tuesday 31st July, but we are looking to get our volunteers recruited from now, so if you hang around it could
mean we have already appointed everyone we need.

Next steps
Please email your CV along with a paragraph or two on why this role is important to you and what you would offer/bring to tim@coffeebirmingham.co.uk.

When Jelly and Coffee come together…

In assocation with the official Birmingham #Jelly, we will be doing something a bit different next month.

What: Jelly is a regular monthly event for solo workers, freelancers and people who want to work out of the office for a day to come together to work and chat. Just bring your laptop, grab a coffee (and maybe a cake) and get to work in a lovely friendly atmosphere with like-minded people.

Why: Because the Coffee Shop is a great place work, especially when other people are co-working in the same place. Instead of the usual Jelly which takes place in one location …

… we will hold the Jelly at locations across the city.
… and because this is a SUPER #JELLY, we might throw in a few extra surprises too!

Who: freelancers, home workers, solopreneurs, small business owners, field workers, people escaping the office for the day – in fact, everyone is welcome to drop in co-work, collaborate and chat. Other than a laptop you can bring your notebook, craft or just yourself, it’s a great time to clear your diary and think of new ideas.

Where:
So on Friday 10th August 2012 from 9am, we will be at the following locations:

Urban Coffee Company, Jewellery Quarter
Café Ezra, Hotel LaTour
Six Eight Kafe, Temple Row

Feel free to come and put your laptop down then go grab a drink. Remember, you can come and go as you please! This is one of the benefits of Jelly.

Exclusive Offers for Jellyheads:
Cafe Ezra at Hotel LaTour: free first drink for Jellyheads.
Six Eight Kafe, Temple Row: coffee and cake for £4 for Jellyheads
Urban Coffee Company, Jewellery Quarter: details to come.

How: RSVP to Tim Wilson at tim@coffeebirmingham.co.uk (twitter: @coffeebrum) or Rickie Josen at write@rickiejosen.co.uk (twitter: @rickiewrites) to let us know you are coming (or you can show up on the day).

With thanks to official Birmingham Jelly organiser Rickie Josen for making this happen.

Hashtags: #jelly #indielove #superjelly #coffeebrum.

… Lucy Whalley.

Many congratulations to Lucy and thanks again to everyone who entered and provided their excellent thoughts on what Independents mean to them.

As part of the launch of the Declaration of Independents, we asked people what independents meant to them as part of a competition only in our coffee shop locations (Six Eight Kafe, Urban Coffee Company and Saint Caffe) on the day.

This is a selection of what people said:

• “Preservation of local business and upholding local jobs and crafts. Genuine friendliness”
• “#Real”
• “Fresh cake. Good, independent ideas!”
• “Independents mean originality, passion, a friendly atmosphere and most of all quality”
• “Good coffee, different blends, friendly, homely and good cakes!”
• “A delightful place to meet. A brilliant place to be.”
• “Knowledge, understanding, passion and customer service that comes from enjoying what you do. Being treated like a person not just a customer.”
• “It’s about standing on your own two feet, setting out your own rules and sticking to them, no matter what anybody says!”
• “friends, food and excellent drinks.”
• “Local businesses in which a focus is on quality and passion for the products which are being sold.”
• “People who ask me how my holiday was….”
• “Individual flavour and great taste – creative and originally – that others try to copy. Good company :)”
• “Supporting independent shops and cafes means keeping the diversity of towns and cities alive. I love trying new independent places.”
• “I want character, not homogenised Star-Costa-Nero’s. I want to know where my coffee comes from. I want to taste the coffee!”
• “A much more personal, quality service”
• “I don’t want the faux familiarity of my name on a cup. I want to chat to my barista Joe as his coffee wakes me up. Plus it Tootes Bangin!”
• “Freedom of choice. Not being guided one way or another.”
• “Quality. Relaxation. Good company.”
• “…. Tasty, surprising and responsive. Places to be.”
• “Good coffee, personal service, a small and not a  big corporate.”
• “Freedom of choice and personal service with a smile.”
• “#Braveheart”
• “Choice and community for me, and profits staying local, too!”
• “Freedom of choice and a more interesting and lively environment.”
• “Variety, choice and freedom.”
• “It is important to support your independents: they give the best customer service and always value you as an individual, which is a rare trait these days.”
• “Local people being free to operate in a big city as freely as the industry giants.”
• “The little man doing his thing and being supported by the community.”
• “Staff who care.”
• “Empowering people to make sound decisions as a consumer, providing meaningful environment.”
• “It means that you owe no one anything. Look after yourself. Pay your own way.”
• “I love independents because their smiles and happiness comses from a love of their products and great service rather than a staff training manual.”

This is a selection of the responses from those who signed up to the Declaration online:

• “Quality coffee served by quality people. Friendship and a home away from home.”
• “Good coffee in a non-identikit environment”
• “Great service and quality that the chains can’t match.”
• “Better quality and personal touches”
• “Coffee as it should be!”
• “Passion, knowledge, quality”

Thanks to those of you who contributed. Stay tuned as we announce the winner of our competition imminently.

Aimed at freelancers and small businesses, Coffee Birmingham are now offering varying levels of sponsorship opportunities aimed to suit the requirements, and raise the profile, of your business.

For more information, please visit: http://www.coffeebirmingham.co.uk/sponsorship.

Picture: Cupcakes courtesy of our supporter Kiss Me Cupcakes

As many businesses and consumers have been requesting a copy, please download the Declaration of Independents, print it and place it in a very public place like many independents have done already across Birmingham.

Your support is so much appreciated. Thank you.