There are many great reasons for setting up your office in Digbeth, Birmingham. Digbeth is located near to the heart of the city and has recently been awarded the title of the “Coolest Neighbourhood in Britain”, by the Sunday Times, winning praise for its “down-to-earth Brummie spirit and welcoming inclusive vibe”, beating various London hotspots. It is home to the famous Bird’s Custard Factory, noted for its various arts venues, charming independent shops, cinema and bohemian cafes and is a short walk from the Bullring & Grand Central. What more could you ask for?
Food, drink and tech
Digbeth is the home of a street food and drink festival known as Digbeth Dining Club, which takes place on a weekly basis and draws in plenty of foodies from around the city and further afield. The Old Crown pub on the High Street is also frequently cited as one of the area’s most historic and welcoming venues and is the oldest public house in the city. Deep in the heart of ‘Peaky Blinders’ territory, this pub is also featured in the incredibly popular ‘Peaky Tours’ that take place in and around Digbeth, visiting many of the haunts that inspired the very successful BBC series.
On Digbeth’s doorstep you have some of the most talked-about Custard Factory venues including European Street-Food Award Winners, Baked in Brick, Ghetto Golf and Clink, as well as The Mockingbird cinema. New eateries and bars are opening all the time, with Floodgate St’s Ruin pub opening in 2017 to glowing reviews and The Rainbow enjoying a new lease of life after being transformed into cocktail bar Finders Keepers.
Digbeth is also home to a range of tech and digital businesses – a bit of a ‘Silicon Birmingham’ if you will. So, if you’re think of setting up a digital start-up, there couldn’t be a better place in the city to set up your cool offices.
A vibrant, close-knit community
Much of Digbeth’s growing popularity has been linked to the digital revolution, with various manufacturing buildings now housing a range of tech start-ups. There’s also a movement for social change, with Digbeth’s Impact Hub bringing together people who care about and believe in a fair, more equal and just Birmingham, providing a space for entrepreneurship, idea incubation, business development and co-working. The area is also known for its wide range of historic buildings, one of which provided a backdrop for scenes from Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi movie, “Ready Player One”. And if you’re looking to be in walking distance from your office, keep an eye on the new residential area being developed, Connaught Square, which gives a nod to the area’s Irish Quarter heritage.
An exciting future
If that wasn’t enough, Digbeth is also noted for its picturesque canals and soon to be street level River Rea, with a HS2 station being built just a short walk away, the whole area is earmarked for an economic renaissance. In support of this, Digbeth has been described as one of the most exciting places to live in the UK by a number of experts and is set to undergo various other changes in the coming decade, enhancing the overall fabric and prosperity of the area.
The West Midlands saw the biggest surge in workforce jobs between late 2016 and March 2017 and has become the leading choice for people exiting London, which has been experiencing well-documented problems with living costs and rising house prices. Digbeth has been one of Birmingham’s key locations that has benefited from this exodus.
How the Digbeth revival got underway
The revival of Digbeth was first kick-started with the redevelopment of the former Bird’s Custard Factory, a project that was launched back in 1992. Current and former residents of the Factory include Fused Magazine, North One Television, ASOS.com, Codemasters and 1990s Britpoppers Ocean Colour Scene.
House prices in Digbeth have risen by over 400% in the past two decades, yet the area remains a considerably more affordable alternative to London, whilst still providing quick and easy access to the capital.
Get in touch
At Flow, we’re excited to see the resurgence of Birmingham as a truly world class city. And with all the cool locations in the area, it would be criminal not to have a cool office to go with it. To find out more about relocating to Birmingham or setting up your business in Digbeth, talk to Flow Office today. We can give you the kind of office space that you and the location deserve!