It's been less than two weeks since Blank Street Coffee opened at the Bullring and its second branch is already up and running. The New Street site opened on Tuesday, September 17 in the unit where Extrawurst used to be, overlooking Victoria Square. I did pop in to the Bullring shop before it opened to the public , to snoop around and get some photos of the inside of the unit.
Minimalist, swish and bright, it feels very trendy indeed and I was keen to visit as a regular punter, to get a proper customer experience - and one of those blueberry matcha drinks - when no one knew I'd be writing about it. The opportunity arose this week when I strolled by the New Street shop to find barely a queue at all. A colleague told me the line was wild round at the Bullring and this felt like a hack, a cheat code, for getting a blueberry matcha without waiting my turn behind a row of eager Brummies.
Read more: Family bakery in Sutton Coldfield to shut after six years as baker says 'I will always remember' Subscribe to our Brum Food Club food and drink newsletter for the latest news from our hospitality scene every Thursday. The space isn't as big as the Bullring one. Unlike that location, with seats in and out for prime people watching, this branch is a grab-and-go affair, with a long coffee bar and a bunch of busy-but-friendly baristas moving you along quickly.
I pushed my face up against the sneeze guard as I waited, hungrily peering in at the pastries like that girl with the braces on in Finding Nemo. While she gazed maniacally at fish, I was panting at the sight of giant cinnamon buns, croissants (sweet and savoury) and chocolatey treats. My order of a blueberry matcha and a cinnamon bun came to £7.
60 which, while not cheap, still feels pretty reasonable for a big posh drink and a treat big enough to share. Two coffees at Costa for me and a pal cost £9.40, for comparison, and I've definitely paid the best part of a fiver for just one pastry elsewhere on New Street so, it didn't feel like an unexpected blow.
There's a part of me that, truth be told, wanted to hate Blank Street. This come-lately, TikTok sensation, coming over here from New York City, taking up all our prominent units. Blank Street faces Victoria Square in town (Image: Kirsty Bosley) But, reader, I could never lie to you.
Sipping that blueberry matcha in the sunshine, strolling over Victoria Square and watching the Chamberlain Fountain babbling in the sun? I was as happy as a big fat clam. The blueberry flavouring tastes natural and sweet and well-balanced alongside the grassy green matcha. It's made with oat milk and thick enough to feel luxurious.
I slurped it from the aesthetically-pleasing clear coffee cup with the sturdy paper straw that didn't feel like it was at risk of collapsing as the ice jumbled around the cup. It's style and substance. Back in the office, I pulled at the cinnamon bun, baked in a muffin tin so it was all plumpy and spilling over the edges, like me in these jeans because of all the pastries I eat in the name of journalism.
It was dense (no more jokes, please, I'm warning you) and a bit thick (I mean it) but it was perfectly pleasant. A lot of bang for my buck. I want to say it's not worth it, that it's another bog standard chain.
But honestly, Blank Street is attracting big queues for good reason. Next time you walk by it, you'll probably see me waiting for my blueberry matcha..
