When Pineapple Road train station opened on the border of Stirchley and Kings Heath, it gave the neighbourhood a fast new route into town. But there is a little cafe opposite that is so good, it would make even the most inconvenient train delay feel like serendipity.
And it is good in three ways: in name (it is called Good To Go), in quality (the coffee and cakes are delicious), and in spirit too. Good To Go is the little coffee shop on the front of Pineapple House, home of the Dads Lane Community Association.
Number 171 Pineapple Road is wonderfully dynamic: a commuter coffee hotspot in the early mornings and a part-time pay-what-you-can community cafe mid-morning, three days a week. The money spent on exquisite cakes and beautiful bakes goes towards supporting all the other activities that happen throughout the week.
It is a co-working space, therapy rooms, a place to eat jacket potatoes and play bingo. It hosts children's parties (the garden is well-stocked with toys!), a hall for dancing, drama groups, fitness classes, book clubs, walkers, and board game players.
The community association has been linked to the building since the 1930s, and over the years it has been passed from person to person, each keen to use it for the good of all. These days, Steve Squires is at the helm, brewing brilliant coffee and welcoming visitors warmly, with lights glinting off the glace cherries on top of freshly-baked pineapple upside-down cakes.
"Spaces like these are really important to the community," Steve says. "There are local churches and other places of worship, but if you are not religious or find it difficult to walk over the threshold of a spiritual place, you cannot really go there. If you are struggling with alcohol or do not like the boozy environment, then pubs are not your place. So this sort of space, which feels like a big home that is welcoming and hospitable, is quite unique, I think."
The cafe is accessible, with ramps and noise-reducing earphones for babies who might find the hustle and bustle uncomfortable. The windows are lined with books to read, and the toybox is well-stocked. Keeping pricing in mind has been important, as Good To Go is a trial run. If the community enjoys and uses it, it will stay.
Steve hopes those who can afford to pay will, helping subsidise days when customers with less to spend visit to find connection. The pay-as-you-feel Community Cafe runs from 10am to 12pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and every weekday from 7am to 9am there are set prices. A cake and coffee deal costs £6, flat whites are £3, English Breakfast tea is £2.50, and smoothies are £3. For croissants, cinnamon swirls, and fruity crumbles, prices range from £3 to £3.75. Every penny spent goes towards supporting the charity that makes the place so special.
"We never look at what people are putting in the card machine," Steve explains. "But I know there are a lot of people who come and just get a free drink for themselves and their kids. And that is amazing - ours is a very safe space. We just create space. We allow people to communicate with one another and create community inside our safe, welcoming, hospitable place."
For us, after a smashing natter, that meant picking up an extra coffee and a bonus pineapple cake for the road. Pineapple House is at 171 Pineapple Road, B30 2SY. Details of upcoming events and how to get involved are on the website, but popping in for a chat is your best bet.
