The Happy Heart Cafe Solihull Review

The Happy Heart Cafe.                                                       

26 Richmond Road,

Olton SOLIHULL,

West Midlands.

Tel: 0121 706 8674

Nicolette’s lavishly illustrated website (www.happyheartcafe.co.uk) nearly says it all, except that the warmth of her welcoming smile sets the atmosphere of this home from home for many local people. Opened in 2014, people from across east Birmingham and north Warwickshire are drawn to the huge variety of activities for which the Happy Heart Café, Olton, is such a popular venue. This is helped by a location on major bus routes (30 and 37), and just a few steps from Olton train station (from and into Moor Street station in Central Birmingham).

Breakfast and lunch dishes are prepared and presented with a variety, love and beauty reflective of Nicolette’s firm philosophy that food is to be respected rather than processed. Vegetarian and vegan options are readily, though not exclusively, available. Her homemade cakes and biscuits are irresistibly offered to her customers in a most attractive display. They are as good as they look, as are her colourful and artistic salads, pastas, omelettes, baguettes, paninis, sandwiches, toasties and wraps.

Solid, scrubbed 6-seat tables, and a variety of chairs and squashy sofas, ensure comfortable capacity for casual visitors and participants in special events. Wall decorations are varied and undeniably cheering. Many a visitor for one purpose has found further fascinating events to attend on the wall-posters, and the eclectic collection of books for browsing and buying combines with good internet connectivity for ‘phone and laptop reading while enjoying a huge variety of teas, coffee, soft drinks and satisfying meals.

Regular, activities include music, literary readings, explorations of spirituality, well-being and mindfulness, and many forms of craftwork, during which casual visitors for a cuppa or a meal are more than welcome.

Review by Robert Ferguson, a regular contributor to CafeLit.  

Review of The Lounge at Ramsbottom

I’ve visited this venue twice: once when we were visiting the 1940’s Weekend on the East Lancs Railway and needed a main meal and once when I was visiting Ramsbottom with my daughter and we needed an extra shot of caffeine – the breakfast coffee hadn’t quite done the trick. 

This flexibility is the main charm of the place. It currently only boasts a few Creative Café activities but it certainly provides the right atmosphere.

There are formal dining arrangements, sofas and low tables if you just want to have a cuppa and a chat or read the newspaper. There is even a bar where you can sit on a high stool and chat to the barman.

It’s the ideal place for networking, in fact. And I’m looking forward to getting across there again soon.          

Review of Juniper’s Coffee Shop Chorlton

I visited this coffee shop after visiting the nearby Chorlton Book Shop. I am sure the two establishments share customers. In fact, I wasn’t the only one looking through a recently purchased book. There was a couple discussing what looked like a film script- certainly a script of some sort and another couple obviously engaged in some sort of meeting. So, definitely there are some Creative Café Project activities going on there.

The book shop holds lots of book events, so there are frequent opportunities for combining a visit to both places.

As a café in its own right it works very well. I certainly enjoyed some delicious cake and a fine pot of Earl Grey there.  All served with a smile. I shall visit again soon.

Recommended.     

Café reviewers and scouts needed

Would you like to review for the Creative Café Project? Is there a creative café near you that should be on the list? If so send us the details and we’ll include it. Would you like to write a short article about it? It should be about 350 words and can be as personal or as objective as you like – as long as it tells us something more about the café than what’s on the blurb.

Definition reminder

How do you recognise a creative café? Have a look at a few on the site and you’ll probably get a sense of it. There are two main criteria:

1.      It must be first and foremost a great café

2.      It must have some sort of creative activity going on such as:

a.       Provide gallery space

b.      Have literature available for customers to read – newspapers, magazines, books

c.       Host a writing group

d.      Host live music

e.       Host a reading group

f.       Provide informal meeting space

Sample reviews

Take a look at these. 

Blue Sky

The Ginger Pig

Time for Tea

Contact

Send your café suggestion or review here. Pictures also welcome.

How to recognise and how to create a Creative Café

Recognising it

A creative café is above all else a café. It isn’t a pub and it isn’t an arts centre, though it may be licensed and it may be within an arts centre. It must sell good coffee and other good things that go with a good coffee. If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, the café is a Creative Café.

Are people reading literature there?

Is literature available in the café?

Is there a sense that you can sit here for as long as you like over you cup of coffee?

Are people creating new worlds as they sit and chat?

Does the café organise book readings, book launches and creative workshops?

Is there artwork on the walls that is either for sale or celebrates local artists?

Does book-crossing happen?

Does the café promote arts events? 

Is there ever any live music?

How to turn your local café into a creative café

Sit in there to read or write.

Drop off a few of your books – whether to give away for free or to be sold by the café, sale or return, at a small profit.

Hold your arts meetings there.

Negotiate with the owner that you’d like to use this as a work space though promise you will make a certain number of purchases in a certain amount of time.

If the venue is suitable, organise a book event there.

Talk to the owner/ manager about using the walls as gallery space. 

Just book-cross.

Take in leaflets about your own events and others you find interesting.

Ask if the cafe has an entertainments license and hook up with musicians you know to perform there.

See also posts on this blog about Writers in Residence, speed-dating and Literary Salons.

Write a review for this site

Where the café is and what does it serve?

Which creative café activities does it offer?

What is its most striking feature? 

Describe your event there.

Can you supply a photo?  

Send your review here.