Sunday 14 September 2014

Boston Tea Party Harborne Food Review

Boston Tea Party is a small group of cafe/restaurants that have slowly been popping up around the country.

Not available on every high street, BTP is a place to eat ethically sourced, simple food that is made on site daily. The milk is always 100% organic whilst the eggs and meat are free range.

The restaurants also give back to the community, acting as a social hub and place for everyone from mums to knitting and reading groups to meet and drink.

There are now 15 BTP's around the country, each designed to respect the building and locale, and I was kindly invited to review the newest BTP in Harborne, near Birmingham.

The School Yard is a compact food and drink destination in Harborne, just outside of Birmingham, and is home to Prezzo, Urban Coffee Company and of course Boston Tea Party.

Walking through the side door, it's hard to believe what's inside as you enter the shared courtyard space lit up with fairy lights strung amongst the trees. Making my way to BTP I walked past the outside courtyard seating into the main building. A converted Victorian school, the BTP space is full of quirky details and original features. With plenty of seating downstairs, I found the bar and said hello to BTP manager Dagmara.

Bike art 

We took a tour of the space, from the easy to access downstairs area and private outdoor space to the quieter upstairs area which can be hired out for free by groups and for events such as book groups, crafting sessions etc.

Upstairs seating

Finally we made our way back down and I took a look at the menu. Visting BTP for an evening meal, I could have opted for a burger, toasted sandwich or salad, but I love a good breakfast so decided instead to try out something different. I couldn't resist the Raspberry and Mango smoothie and it came out super fast having placed my order at the bar. Fruity, fresh and lively, I slurped it down so quickly!

Raspberry and Mango Smoothie 

Next I ordered my meal. Although I was tempted by the Kedgeree, Mushrooms on Toast, Veggie Breakfast and 'Get Your Goat, You've Pulled' toasted sandwich, I chose the Eggs Royale with avocado which is an English muffin topped with poached egg, avocado and hollandaise sauce - yum! Alongside the Royale I also tried out the Moroccan Mint Tea.


Eggs Royale

Having visited the Birmingham BTP I knew that they make a fantastic Orange and Almond cake and had my sights set on this before I'd decided on my main. Needless to say that this moist, orangey, marmalade laced cake rounded off the meal nicely.

Moroccan Mint Tea

There's also a huge variety of drinks available from smoothies and milkshakes to homemade iced teas, wine, craft beer and an unusually wide selection of teas and coffees.

As a gluten free foodie, I was especially impressed with how well BTP caters for gluten-free diners. The menu is clearly labelled with GF, the staff are really clued up on what is suitable to eat for those on a GF diet, and they can even use GF bread in a lot of dishes to make them gluten-free!

Orange and Almond Cake

Anyone who's been to a BTP will know that they make some incredible cakes that come out on huge wooden boards. They also make GF cakes on the regular, and as well as my Orange and Almond cake which is gorgeously gluten-free, they also had a GF brownie in when I visited.

Bakewell Tart cake slab

I had a great experience at Boston Tea Party Harborne and thoroughly enjoyed the food, atmosphere, service and fascinating building.

Although it's known as a daytime venue, they are open late until 11pm, making it a great place to go for a quiet drink or bite to eat in the evening. Harborne is a great place for evening drinks with plenty of pubs and restaurants to choose from. Boston Tea Party offers something really different to the pubs and restaurants, with a tasty menu, interesting space full of different seating areas and friendly staff. I'd definitely recommend that you try it out and I've already been back!



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