A new cafe has opened today at Nottingham's intu Broadmarsh Centre with a strong focus on keeping it local - and plastic free.
Birdhouse Cafe has a bright, breezy ambiance for enjoying food and drink from some of Notts' best, award-winning producers.
There's hearty Italian-style sandwiches from Ugly Bread Bakery, coffee from award-winning 200 Degree's roastery in Meadow Lane and refreshing soft drinks from Belvoir Fruit Farms in the vale.
In a bid to be the city's first plastic-free cafe, there will be no bottled water to lessen the damaging impact on the environment. Instead the drinks chiller is stocked with resealable, recyclable cans of still and sparkling water.
Who knew that around 96 percent of the nation's tea bags contain plastic? Polypropylene, a sealing plastic, is used to keep the tea bags from falling apart. However, a cuppa at Bluebird Cafe will be brewed using plastic-free Teapigs tea bags.
The paper takeaway cups are also environmentally-friendly, unlike most which are coated in plastic and can't be recycled - or customers can invest in one of the Birdhouse branded reusable coffee cups on sale in the cafe.
With its floor to ceiling glass windows on the corner of Middle Pavement and Weekday Cross, it's a great spot for people watching.
As well as window ledges with high stools, there's a couple of sofas for chilling and a mix of wooden tables for two, four and more, together with space for small and start-up craft, art, lifestyle and fashion brands to showcase their talent.
Director Dan Shaw, who has 30 years of experience working with retail start-ups and household names, hopes to further support Nottingham’s thriving independent scene.
There's no pressure on customers to drink up and go - in fact they're encouraged to stay as long as they want, taking advantage of the free wi-fi and USB charging points.
“We aren’t creating a coffee house that’s based on quick turnaround,” said Dan. “We want our customers to know we’re there if they want a quick coffee on the way to work or bite to eat at lunch, but equally, if you want to bring your laptop with you and spend the morning with us, you’re more than welcome.”
Bluebird Cafe is open Monday to Saturday, 8.30am-5pm.
Vegan review of Budby Antiques emporium's Crew Yard Cafe and Bistro in north Nottinghamshire
Nottingham pub and live music venue is closing for good this summer
Nottingham pub undergoing revamp will be renamed The Playwright
