This large, high-street bakery keeps an impressive stock of pasties, bakes, cakes, sandwiches and…read moremuch, much more. Prices are tremendously cheap, even lower than your average Greggs, and the store is very spacious and clean inside, making for a pleasant atmosphere on every visit. The staffs aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, but they are fast and efficient, and manage very well considering how ludicrously hectic things can get of a lunchtime. Freshly baked bread is available at low prices and the cakes displayed inside the bakery's glass counter are irresistible. I visit recently for a cheese and bean melt, and was more than impressed by Firkins' no-nonsense customer service and excellent prices. The melt didn't taste too bad either!

The gorgeous smell of this small indoor bakery is a real taste bud teaser, drawing me in every…read moresingle time I pass by. The freshly baked bread displayed inside the store's glass counters look equally as delicious as they smell and many are on sale for £1 or less! Unfortunately, the ovens visible behind the counter are grimy, rusty and look very unappealing, and the owner is a little pushy and intimidating with her incessant natter and impatience. The bread here looks, smells and tastes delicious, it's just unfortunate that the bakery's cleanliness and service are a little on the unpleasant side.

So I've spend a lot of time (and too much £) at Sixteen's neighbour/sister Faculty and yet never…read moremanaged to make it here for a meal. I decided to remedy that after drinking a Faculty coffee here, using the cafe as overflow seating during a particularly busy time. I was entranced by the variety and looks of the food, and have eaten lunch there three times this week to ensure that their awesomeness is consistent. I'm happy to report that Sixteen Kitchen & Bakery is one of the most delicious and affordable sandwich shops in the city centre. Sixteen is the brainchild of the owners of Faculty, and supplies the coffee shop with their delectable desserts. The shop is joined with Faculty by an open wall, so you can easily order something from one or both and sit in either location. Whereas Faculty uses a bar and two seater table arrangement, Sixteen's seating is entirely on two long tables. This is perfect for large groups or office team lunches (I've seen a lot of work being done here) but can get cramped otherwise. In addition to making desserts for Faculty, the kitchen & bakery serves breakfast and lunch until the late afternoon. I haven't made it to Piccadilly Arcade early enough for breakfast (stops at 11AM), but lunch is good enough to make it a regular mid-day stop. I've ordered the kimchi and cheddar toastie, as well as the basil, pesto, tomato, and mozzarella ciabatta, and most recently the vegemite and avocado sandwich. The kimchi is homemade of course and has a nice balance between heat and actually enjoying the flavours of it. Good luck finding kimchi that tastes this good elsewhere in Birmingham! The ciabatta was done up right and while not blowing away my tastebuds, hit all the right notes. The vegemite and avocado with tomato and mature cheddar was pretty much what you would expect. Like marmite, you either love it or hate it! All of the sandwiches are made fresh daily and packaged on the counter for hygiene. Upon selection, they are placed in a press for finishing. The menu is not set, changing every few days depending on bread (from Peel & Stone) and produce (from the Bullring Open Market). Sandwiches hover around the £4 mark and are a great value especially for the larger ones. For an extra £1 you can add salad to your meal as a side. My only complaint at this point is the lack of beverages. Sixteen makes fresh pressed juices for £3.50 and that's it. If you want anything else, you'll have to head next door to Faculty (although tap water is free). They could do with adding some flavoured/sparkling waters or other canned/bottled drinks. Overall Sixteen is a wonderful addition to the independent businesses of Piccadilly Arcade and contender for best sandwich shop in Brum.

Sixteen kitchen is tucked away in the classy Piccadilly Arcade. It's less than a minute from grand…read morecentral and next to its sister store faculty coffee. The store does have limited seating due to its small confines. The menus changes every day and are put up on the wall behind the counter using a sharpie and ripped up sheets of paper. They generally specialise in sandwiches and soups but also sell cakes or pastry to compliment. If you wanted a coffee to match their is a door leading through to faculty from the store side. On this occasion is purchased a toasted sandwich which was halloumi, pesto and basil on sour dough. It tasted absolutely great, the sandwich was toasted perfectly. The correct portioning meant flavours were great and not overpowering. It cost £4 which I think is very reasonable considering quality. If your waiting for a train or just need a quick lunch sandwich I would recommend sixteen kitchen!

The cakes look too good to eat...but somehow I manage!…read more My experiences with Character Cakes has been nothing but outstanding and delicious. My very first cake was a cleverly crafted cartoon cake of me collecting my GCSE results. My mom had popped down a couple of weeks before my results were due and had ordered it. For my 18th birthday party I knew we were going to be using Character Cakes again except this time I could have whatever I wanted. I took a picture of my new devil tattoo and took it down to see whether they could do an enlarged version of it. She admitted it could be tricky but she would give it a go. It was amazing! I didn't want to cut it up! Every time we order a new cake our requests get more detailed, yet they always manage to deliver an amazing piece which not only looks incredible but tastes good too. I cannot give them a higher recommendation. I've got a whole year to decide what to have for my 30th birthday cake, any suggestions?

This place is superb and a hugely welcome addition to Harborne. The cakes are amazing, and now they…read moredo (albeit limited) lunch it makes it even better. But the best aspect is the downstairs bar area. Still smells a bit of paint as it's so new, but this is easy to get past. Stripped back and exposed brick, it's very cool. Obviously not somewhere to go on a sunny summers day, as there's no natural light! Decent selection of craft beer and spirits. Tuesdays are at the time of writing flatbread and 2 halves of beer for £10 which is great value. This will become a very regular haunt of mine, right on the doorstep. And it can definitely be included as part of the Harborne Run, if that's your jam...

As a coeliac you may question why I'm writing a review for a bakery, and sadly it's not because…read morethey are making amazing Gluten Free alternatives of their delicious looking cakes. I have a major sweet tooth, and whilst I can't eat their delicious cakes I can buy them for other people. So whilst I'm buying Danishes and tarts for the other half, I'm buying myself the freshly made monster meringues. Worth treating yourself to some freshly baked classics and great bread as opposed to a cupcake every now and again. It's always nice to find a good local supplier that means you can bypass the supermarket and grab something freshly and locally made with good quality ingredients. They are superbly located for the commuters from Snow Hill Station, you just need to remember its there on the corner of Great Western Arcade.

The Bread Collection located on the corner of Birmingham's Great Western Arcade has a very unique…read morefeel and a sense of it's own character! They offer fresh bread, cakes, pasties, sandwiches and a great alternative for a nice lunch. Although the interior is quite small and there are only a few seats I'd recommend the food here to anyone. You can also buy their items for home use. I bought a whole bread loaf!! Although you pay a little more, the better tastier food, an alternative to the big supermarkets, and you know that your supporting a local grocer's using local sourced ingredients, its a win win all round. Pay them a visit!

Offering order-at-your-table waitress service and an extensive, homemade cake selection, this New…read moreOscott-based tea room is a great place to relax. Alex, the waitress is lively and polite and the café holds a pleasant, 'Old English' ambience, which is complimented nicely by its classy cutlery and condiments. The homemade cakes selection is near-irresistible and Britton's even offers its own take-away service and menu. Unfortunately though, with only 5 or 6 tables and no easy-listening soundtrack, the tea room feels cramped and uncomfortably silent, even when every seat is full. Britton's is smart, charming and very reasonably priced, but it would definitely benefit from some piped music and comfortable seat cushions, both of which would be sure to cosy things up a little.

Believe it or not, I'm just about old enough to remember the Lyon's Tea Rooms. If you've never…read moreheard of them then Google it. So I was taken back to my childhood when I paid a recent visit to this corner tea room. The former flower shop has been transformed into a beautiful tea shop with a fabulous range on offer. Let's start with cakes! Scones with jam and thick cream, chocolate fudge cake, served as it come or hot. Lemon drizzle, carrot cake, Mmm ok let's move on! They do a great breakfast, sandwiches, light lunches oh and being a tea shop there is a wide selection of teas of course. I shall be popping along soon to enjoy a long lost British tradition "Afternoon Tea", on offer is a three tier stand with a finger sandwich selection, those scones I was talking about earlier and a pot of tea all for £10.00, a nice touch and perfect treat.