Breakfast of champions @ Boston Tea Party

I’m a fan of Boston Tea Party

Just thinking about Boston Tea Party breakfast makes me want to tap the heart emoji until my finger falls off. As well as creating over the top photo opps with bowls of zoats at home, I also enjoy letting someone else make a mess of the kitchen from time to time (read: often).

I’m very fortunate to be one of those WFHT’s work from home types that you see emerging for coffee and grub when most people have just arrived at the office. Don’t get me wrong, I work very hard and even if I’m having breakfast out I’m usually also surgically attached to my laptop, iPhone or notepad, BUT I do like to brush my hair and take myself out of the house a few times a week during the day. I find people watching stirs my creativity and I often brainstorm my best ideas and write (I also write about bum lifts for a living, true story – I’ll tell you about it sometime) some of my better pitches when I’m out and about.

One of my favourite places to grab breakfast or brunch is Boston Tea Party, set next to the courts on Corporation Street. Without doubt one of the most popular morning eateries in Birmingham city centre, it’s always busy and there’s usually a queue to order food. Personally I take that as a good sign; if no one is queuing at 8:30am you’re not doing it right.

Despite being part of a chain, this BTP is nicely set out (I’ve been to several others that don’t have the same spacious charm it has to be said) and has a real homely feel. Most importantly the staff are always friendly and attentive, and remarkably never flinch when someone says “I want the fry up but can you swap the…”

I’ve been coming to this BTP since my days at a press agency, working as a features writer. I’d cover court cases in the buildings next door and would often find myself using the breaks to grab breakfast or lunch. I soon discovered BTP next door and inadvertently made it my ‘go to’ joint when I was over that way.

When I started dating Ian (he gets very excited about the word brunch, good man) I took him to BTP and like me he fell in love with it a little bit.. mainly because you can add bacon to everything, I would assume. We often wake up late on a Sunday and abandon our plans to do the garden or go to the gym (lol at myself) and instead head into town. I guess Boston has become something of a Sunday tradition for us – in an ideal world a late breakfast here would be followed by a few pints and a beef dinner in Sun on the Hill – and we’re both very fond of the place.

The food is always satisfying and, like most regulars, I have my go-to picks from the menu when it comes to breakfast. I love the smoked salmon, avocado and scrambled eggs on sourdough toast (in fact there was a period when I got mildly obsesssd and ate this about 3 times a week) as a lazy Sunday treat, and the poached eggs and hummus on rye bread is dreamy with their soy cappuccino.

My love for smashed avo means I rarely step outside of options including the green stuff, although the eggs Benedict was delicious when I tried that a few weeks ago, and my other half could quite happily live on the chorizo hash.. with added bacon, obviously. My mum raved about the full English too; in fact I’ve never taken anyone there who’s disliked the food or service.

Boston Tea Party is definitely one of my favourite places to dine in Brum, not only for the breakfasts but also the wide variety of herbal teas (the rose and cardamon loose leaf is beautiful) and homemade cakes and treats they offer. The fruit scrumble, which is essentially a fruit crumble without the faff, is worth popping in for alone, in my opinion.

I think I know where I’m going after my meeting tomorrow morning…