Your Guide To Independent Culture In Birmingham. Enjoy Up To 50% Off At 170+ Of The Very Best Independents Across Birmingham + Solihull With The IB App 📱👇
Download the Independent Birmingham App at: to save up to £5, £10, £20, £30, even up to hundreds of pounds off (at certain venues) at 170+ of the very best independents across Birmingham and Solihull - all for just £2.99 a month or £29.90 a year 🙌
🚨 RE-OPENING 🚨 The UK’s oldest working cinema
@ElectricBham
is re-opening on 21 January under new ownership! We can’t wait for this truly iconic Birmingham independent to be back open again and welcoming in film lovers from across the UK. Welcome back, old friend.
Top 20 Cities In The UK:
20. you
19. can't
18. rank
17. cities
16. because
15. each
14. one
13. has
12. its
11. own
10. unique
9. charm
8. and
7. is
6. special
5. to
4. those
3. living
2. there
1. BIRMINGHAM
The ace
@IndianBrewery
are taking over this huge warehouse (just off Saint Paul's Square) and transforming it into a brewery and massive taproom, complete with 25 taps showcasing their beers, a brand new Indian street food offering, big screen TVs and more. Opening early 2024.
Once again someone on social media is slagging off our city, calling it a dump. And once again we're here to remind everyone just how beautiful Brum truly is. Here are just 50 reasons why we absolutely adore Birmingham:
No doubt you will have heard all about Birmingham from your out-of-town friends. It’s all true. Birmingham is a terrible place – rife with unfriendly locals, dirty streets and terrible food. Here are 50 reasons why you should stay away from Birmingham.
🐂 BELIEVE IN BIRMINGHAM 🐂 So immensely proud of our glorious city being showcased across the world and finally everyone is seeing just how fantastic Brum truly is. All eyes are on us and now, more than ever, people are starting to believe in Birmingham 💪
📷
@all_day_
If a property developer is allowed to demolish most of Station Street (including The Electric) and replace it with a block of flats, then that's quite simply cultural vandalism.
HUGE NEWS: There will be an independent Christmas market backed by
@BhamCityCouncil
&
@ColmoreBID
taking place 17 Nov-19 Dec in the grounds surrounding St Philip's Cathedral (aka Pigeon Park). We're talking indie food & drink, indie retailers, artists & makers, live music & more!
UPDATED: Here's our updated guide to Brum's independents offering take-away + collection services during lockdown:
Please RT & share this far and wide to help as many businesses as possible. If you'd like adding, email: hello
@independent
-birmingham.co.uk
To inspire you to support as many indie businesses as possible during this difficult time, we've created the ULTIMATE Brum foodie bible, showcasing 50 dishes you need to eat (part 1). Scroll down the list, pick a dish that takes your fancy, eat, repeat:
This June, a brand new indie bookshop is opening on Greenfield Crescent (Edgbaston) called Green Heart Books (formerly The Bookshop On The Green in Bournville). It will be Brum's largest indie bookshop, complete with coffee bar and (eventually) a community garden. Delightful!
This is absolutely massive news. Not only is the birthplace of heavy metal (where Black Sabbath played their first gig) now protected, but it gives us hope that The Electric is soon to follow. A true victory for Brum's cultural heritage.
Tucked away down side streets, off the beaten path, Birmingham is full of wonderful independent hidden gems. Here's our guide to 40 hidden gems in Birmingham you NEED to discover - read up, and then get out there and rediscover your city:
We ❤️ Birmingham, and for the last 9 years we've been shouting it LOUD from the rooftops. It's incredible to see so many people enjoying Brum for
@birminghamcg22
and to see the city so bustling and vibrant. Here are just 17 reasons why we love Birmingham:
🚨 NEW OPENING 🚨 Brummie legend Glynn Purnell will be opening a brand new tapas restaurant on Edmund Street (just around the corner from
@purnellsrest
), specialising in small plates, great wines and cocktails. Opening date tbc. We're super exciting for this!
It's amazing to see Birmingham so bustling and vibrant, and full of people having a great time. We love to see it! Here's a wonderful snap of our glorious city, captured by one of Brum's very finest photographers
@Vemsteroo
😍
🚨 NEW OPENING 🚨 One of our very favourite pubs in Brum The Church has re-opened under new ownership. Now operated by the team behind
@_tigerbitespig
@tacos_tierra
and
@trentinajq
The Church will be serving up small plates alongside craft beers, cocktails, wines and more.
Wouldn't it be ace to see as many people eager to support Brum's independents when they reopen as there are queuing up for big chains. There are so many fantastic indie businesses who work hard to make Brum exciting & unique. Now more than ever, these businesses need our support.
Here's a powerful video made by a number of Brum's brilliant independent businesses outlining the urgent need for support for our city's hospitality industry. The safety and recovery of this industry matters, and there needs to be meaningful support right now.
#HopeForHospitality
A number of Birmingham’s independent hospitality venues have written an open letter to Mayor Andy Street, urging him to challenge the rulings made yesterday by central government which seriously jeopardise the viability of our city's indie businesses
#savehospitality
Devastated to hear that The Electric is closing its doors for the foreseeable future, and potentially for good. After the budget cut announcement for our city's arts and culture venues, this comes as a further blow for Brum and our city's indie scene 💔
Today marks 6 years of Independent Birmingham. It's been a long journey, but 6 years on we're still here - championing our city and its terrific independent scene.
Thanks to everyone who has supported IB over the years, we'd be nothing without you. You guys rock!
#BelieveInBrum
Oh hells yeah! Brum burger legends
@OriginalPattyM
are opening a new permanent burger restaurant in Stirchley! This is terrific news 🍔😍🙌🔥
Who's excited?
We love Birmingham, and have spent the last 4 years championing this amazing city and its marvellous independent culture. Here are just 17 reasons why we think Birmingham is the greatest city on Earth.
Stuck at home but still want to support Brum's marvellous independents in their time of need? Here's a list of indie restaurants, bars, pubs, and coffee shops in Brum offering take-away or collection services. Any and all support is greatly appreciated:
Devastated to hear Island Bar, Bar Opus and Buffalo & Rye have all announced they're closing their doors. This is a critical time for our independents - if you can, please get out there and help save Brum's independents with your custom. They need our support now more than ever.
Word is that the iconic
@ElectricBham
(the UK's oldest working cinema) has been saved and is now under new ownership. We can't wait to see what new life
@kevinmarkwick
(who also owns
@PictureHouseUck
) brings to this true icon of Birmingham. Good luck!
📷
We LOVE Birmingham. The buildings, the views, the people, the food, the events – Birmingham is a hugely diverse city steeped in cultural heritage, and for us there's absolutely nowhere better. Here are just 50 reasons why we love Birmingham:
NEWS: The brand new
@IndianBrewery
taproom is set to open this May! Transforming this stunning warehouse in the JQ (Mary Ann Street) into a brewery and taproom (complete with 220 covers and games area), Indian Brewery also plan to introduce a brand new food offering. Sounds epic!
Here's a full list of all 100 independents in Brum (categorised by area) offering fantastic year-long discounts and deals on the
#IBCARD
. Go forth and rediscover your city, one hidden gem at a time:
We ❤️ discovering Birmingham's very best hidden gems, and then telling you all about them so you can visit and support these brilliant indie businesses. Here are 40 fantastic hidden gems you need to visit in Birmingham (Part 1):
Go rediscover your city!
🚨 10 NEW OPENINGS 🚨 It's been an extremely tough few years for our city's independents. Despite this, we're seeing new indies opening up across Brum and we're super happy to see people following their dreams. Here are 10 new openings that need to be on your radar (thread):
Here's an illustration by
@markhipwell1990
of what Livery Street could look like with outdoor seating for eating/drinking.
@BhamCityCouncil
we NEED spaces like this across the city and the suburbs to help support hospitality venues as they reopen. Let's make it happen.
The overwhelming sense in the city is one of sheer pride. Brum is energetic & diverse, our indie food/drink scene is one of the best in the UK, our buildings are ace, our cultural offerings are world class & we're a lovely bunch of people
#BelieveInBrum
📷
The Independent Birmingham Festival At Aston Hall returns on 14-15 August! Get ready for a HUGE line-up of Brum’s best restaurants, street food, cocktail bars, craft beer, natural wine, coffee, indie retailers and live music.
Grab your tickets fast at:
From Michelin star restaurants and the UK's best street food, to internationally-renowned art galleries, fantastic theatres, great bands, huge parks and awesome cocktail bars, here are just 17 reasons why we love Birmingham:
We're devastated to hear that The Pineapple Club has closed its doors. Having just been named the 14th best cocktail bar in the UK, this is a crushing blow to Brum's indie scene. It's so tough out there for independents right now - please (if you can) support as many as possible.
There are 4 really amazing indies planning to open in Stirchley soon. We can't say who just yet (they're not quite ready for people to know and we don't want to break the news early as we're not A-holes), but one of Brum's very best 'burbs for foodies is about to get EVEN better!
Delighted to hear plans are in place to close part of Colmore Row & Waterloo Street for 6 weeks (from around 12 April) to allow hospitality businesses to use the space for outdoor eating/drinking.
This is a really positive step. Hoping it's replicated across the city & suburbs.
Literature Lovers: If you haven't heard, an independent bookshop has opened in Bournville called The Bookshop On The Green. We're in love. 📚📖😍
If you love to read, or know someone who does, go support this fantastic independent business doing awesome things for our city.
We’re delighted to announce that this Sept we're hosting the first ever Independent Birmingham Awards! A night celebrating Brum's magnificent indie businesses & the people behind our favourite local spots. To nominate your favourite independents, head to:
Introducing our Ultimate Guide To Ruining Your Diet In Birmingham: 73 Dishes To Eat Before You Die.
Warning: this article will make you VERY hungry and may result in loss of money due to purchasing of all the food.
Could not agree more with this statement. The current Christmas Markets are a joke. We'd love to collab with
@BhamCityCouncil
to create a truly incredible spectacle that both involves and celebrates local, Brum independents - and isn't the same tired tacky stall every few steps.
@birmingham_live
Reading everyone’s responses here, why don’t the council listen to the people and do something different that we can be proud of that celebrates British and local businesses and talent.
#shitmasmarket