WHAT? Cereal and flavoured milk
WHERE? The V Revolution unit on Northern Quarter's Oldham Street
WHO? Black Milk co-founders Oliver Taylor and Andy Young
We import a lot from the continent, most recently Japan...
WHEN Black Milk opened in March last year, the idea of a ‘cereal’ cafe raised a few eyebrows (read about it here). But founder, Oliver Taylor, has proved the naysayers wrong, consistently hitting capacity to the point where he’s tripling the size of his Afflecks venue and is set to open a new 60+ cover branch this spring at 88 Oldham Street, the current site of V Revolution (who are lining up a move around the corner to Edge Street).
As its popularity indicates, there’s more to Black Milk than bowls of cornflakes: cereal is incorporated into everything from baked products to ice cream and their 'cake shakes' (milkshakes heaped with all manner of sweet confections) - which Taylor pains to point out they brought to Manchester first.
V Revolution- Black Milk's future site“We first spotted the movement in Sydney, before it exploded in the UK, and milkshakes like our triple salted caramel cheesecake stack remain our bestselling product. Whilst our menu centres on cereal and milk, the dessert focus makes Black Milk more a place to come and indulge than somewhere to drag yourself in early mornings for a bowl of Coco Pops - although incidentally, we do have a Coco Pop latte...”
That said, there are plenty of bowls on offer, including the XL Superbowl and the famous edible chocolate bowl. Available in white, milk or dark flavour, this has been designed by a Cumbrian chocolatier and quickly became a Black Milk USP. Customers can top up their vessel with ‘cocktail’ combinations like Crumble Stiltskin and The Mighty Mochatoa and ‘pimp’ them up with additions like toasted marshmallows and warm melted chocolate.
“You’ll find a lot of cereals you wouldn’t elsewhere” says Taylor. “We import a lot from the continent, most recently Japan, and now have over 90 varieties”.
Milk is also a key feature - partly influenced by lauded US milk bar Momofuku - with over 30 varieties and the option to custom-blend your own. A black squid ink flavour, along with a preference for subverting the norm, inspired the cafe’s unusual name.
It's all about the milk and cerealSo what can we expect from Black Milk Oldham Street? “The menu will be the same as Afflecks but there’ll be the option of ordering products in advance via a drive-thru: we’re developing an app, which will be up and running shortly. There’ll also be a large basement area, which we plan to use as an events space, for example alternative breakfast meetings for local companies”.
Taylor also plans some new menu additions which, true to the idea of subversion, include sweet products designed to look like savoury; including Black Milk Witch, ice cream sandwiched between two cookies rolled in nuts to look like a seeded burger, served with brownie ‘fries’ dipped in white chocolate. Mirroring the Afflecks extension, the selection of baked products will also triple in size, and include products made on the premises - like current fave, fudge brownie - alongside confections from local suppliers like Trove bakery and Chorlton’s Unicorn Grocery.
Yes you’ll use up all your weekly calorie intake... but you’ll have a bloody good time doing it.
@blackmilkcereal will open at 88 Oldham Street this spring
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