I went to the Birmingham Bullring's new eatery for a £10.50 dish and had to go to Greggs

Kirsty Bosley holds a plastic cup filled with layers of acai, strawberry, cacao nibs, blueberries, granola and chia pudding
-Credit: (Image: Kirsty Bosley)


Walking through the Bullring, clutching a little Acai 'bowl' from Oakberry, I felt suddenly vulnerable. Like I'd just stepped out of Selfridges swinging a Chanel handbag, or ambled out of the Rolex boutique flashing a shiny new bauble on my wrist.

The 'Crunchy' cup of acai berry gloop, layered with chia pudding and topped with granola, cacao nibs, a couple of slices of strawberry and a tiny clutch of blueberries seemed somewhat ostentatious. I'd paid £10.50 for it and it felt a bit like a beacon that told other Brummies: 'Hey, look at me, I have more money than sense' .

My editor is sure that I have boujee tastes. From his side of the desk, I can see him side-eye me when I talk about splashing nearly £6 on a single pastry, or when I wax lyrical about fine dining restaurants. It's a fair cop.

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I admit that he has got my number with that. But even I, the girl who spent £150 on lunch-for-one for no particularly special occasion, couldn't get over spending £10.50 on a little cup of purple goop.

I'd been a bit bamboozled when I got to the counter, down there by Foot Locker and Claire's Accessories on the very bottom floor of the shopping centre. The menu is split into 'bowl' and 'smoothies' but both sides show cups by way of illustration and I didn't see any bowls anywhere.

I'm no acai expert but I believe the difference between the two is that 'bowls' are layered up and smoothies are blended all into one big thing. Explaning this is dull and there's a couple of big menus that show all of the customisation options. Maybe if I'd eaten more superfoods in my life, I'd find it all easier to navigate.

Let's talk prices. A 'One' bowl, the smallest of them all at 270ml, is priced at £7.99 while the 350ml 'Classic' bowl is £10.50. The 500ml 'Works' is £12.50 while the 650ml 'Oak' bowl is a huge £14.50. Wowza.

Oakberry in the Bullring
Oakberry in the Bullring -Credit:Kirsty Bosley

All with the exception of the tiny one can be sprinkled with 'unlimited' toppings and there are loads to choose from. I'm at risk of losing you now, reader, through extreme boredom, as I try to explain the topping options. Skip past the next two paragraphs if you, like me, cannot be bothered to think about combinations and we can just get to the taste test.

Blueberry, banana, kiwi, strawberry and coconut flakes are among the 'fruit' toppings, but mango puree and seasonal fruits incur an addition £1 if you want those. Keto, cacao and apple and ginger granola will also set you back the £1 extra, as will almond butter, Pacoca Zero and cashew butter.

If you want vegan protein added in, it's an extra £2. There are seeds, dairy additions, proteins and granola options too, loads of them.

I didn't have it in me to do the maths, to make decisions, to work out what complements goji berries or bee pollen, which seeds go with dairy. I chose a pre-planned Signature Bowl instead, the 'Crunchy'.

The 'design your own' menu at Oakberry
The 'design your own' menu at Oakberry -Credit:Kirsty Bosley

The acai was delicately sweet and without the expected tartness. It was pleasant, especially with the texture and bitterness of the cacao. There wasn't loads of fruit on top so I made light work of the strawberries and blueberries, but they were very fresh and good quality.

The chia pudding was right down between acai smoothie layers and so by the time I got there, it had all turned into much of a muchness. It was all just OK-tasting gloop. I liked it, but even at half the price, I'd have said it was too expensive for me.

It doesn't take a genius, judging by my body of work, to realise that I'm no health food wiseguy. I don't count macros, meal prep doesn't go much further than putting leftover pizza in tin foil for next day breakfast, and I don't think a few little scoops of acai is going to transform my life.

In fact, when I got back to the office, I lost at ping pong to my friend Richard and so, I can confirm that my personal sporting performance wasn't enhanced by the £10.50 bowl.

I'm certain that sourcing all of these ingredients is really expensive for Oakberry. Bee pollen can't come cheap and I imagine they're not growing their acai berries down in the Moseley allotments either. There's a cost involved with getting all of this stuff to the Bullring.

If you're hooked on superfoods, keen to get a protein hit or you just want everyone in the Bullring to know you can afford such a thing, you'll love Oakberry. Me? I ran into Greggs afterwards for a Vegan sausage roll because I was still hungry and I'd spent all my lunch money on a cup masquerading as a bowl.