Watch: I enjoyed a varied breakfast at a Wolverhampton cafe helping to fund city's homeless charity
There are plenty of places in the Black Country where you can sit down and enjoy a good breakfast.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
There are hundreds of places to start the day with a fry-up, a bowl of granola, a yoghurt or just a cup of coffee, spanning from greasy spoon cafes to pubs and restaurants with a breakfast menu.
One place which has joined the 'breakfast club' is Pomegranate Cafe in Wolverhampton, a cafe with an altruistic view of the world.
The cafe, located in the Queens Building on Pipers Row next to Wolverhampton Bus Station, was opened in February alongside the Wolverhampton Community Shop, a partnership between the Good Shepherd and Wolverhampton Council to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
It works alongside the city's homeless charity, with the Good Shepherd being the recipient of all funds raised by the cafe.
Pomegranate was originally set up as a cafe for lunches and evening meals, as well as freshly ground coffee and homemade cakes, but has recently made the decision to open up earlier to offer breakfast - so I decided to take a trip down to sample the wares on offer.
It's a notable landmark at the end of Queen Street, visible from all four sides, and the Pomegranate sign is a welcoming one as you walk up, as is the rush of warm air as you open the doors and step in.
There wasn't much redevelopment work needed in the cafe when the Good Shepherd and Wolverhampton Council took over the building as it had previously been a Costa Coffee, so you get the instant recognition of the counter with the coffee machines bubbling away and the wonderful aroma of coffee beans permeating the air.
The counter also offers a wide selection of cakes and other baked treats, some freshly made on the premises, and the room has a few tables dotted around for customers to sit and take in the brickwork and surroundings of the room.
However, while I like the architecture of the building, I was there to have breakfast and decided to do a three-course meal with a fruit option, a hot option and a sweet option, as well as a nice, hot Americano coffee.
The menu is not a big one in terms of options, but has a range that allows for all three options that I wanted, so I went for a freshly chopped fruit pot to start things off, the fruit helping to cleanse my palate at the start.
Following that, the hot options were two wraps, one meat and one vegetarian, then either a bacon or sausage roll, so I chose the egg, sausage and bacon omelette in a wrap to give me the full scope of the food on offer.
Finally, sweet options were either a croissant or a Pastel de Nata. Not quite knowing what a Pastel de Nata was, I decided to give it a go and try something new. I like croissants, but you know what you're getting with them.
The good news was that the meal was not a costly one. I've been in cafes where a cooked breakfast could break your waist and the bank, whereas my three options only cost me £7, plus £2.80 for a coffee.
The cafe was quiet on the morning I went, with two people on another table having a meeting and probably another two coming in to get a coffee. The manager said the aim of the cafe was to establish itself as a prime location for breakfast and be a stopping point on people's journeys.
It is ideally situated, down the path from Wolverhampton Railway Station and clearly visible on the walk down, as well as right next to the bus station, so that's one thing in its favour.
Another is the warm and friendly service while you're there, with the staff working hard to make the food and drink to a high quality and making sure tables were clean and customers weren't kept waiting.
That was evident in getting my first coffee, which came very quickly after ordering and sitting down, and carried a strong flavour which helped give me the bump I needed (I am not a morning person).
My "starter" of the fruit pot was a great way to start things, full of colourful cantaloupe melon, apple and raspberry, all a nice touch and whose flavours combined together well.
It was complemented well with a cup of creamy yoghurt, with the bitterness mixing nicely with fruit. It was a nice and healthy way to start things and, if you're on a health kick, a decent meal on its own.
The next part of my meal could be considered stodgier, full of egg, bacon and sausage, but the wrap I ordered was a lot bigger than I expected, filling the plate alongside the green salad and vinaigrette that was provided.
The first bite brought a strong flavour and a real sense of the ingredients inside the crispy shell of the wrap and that continued throughout, giving me a nice feeling throughout, as well as noting that it was a healthy option because of the way it was cooked and presented.
That, on its own, would have been enough for a meal, but I went ahead with my Pastel de Nata which, having consulted Google, I learned is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon.
It was, I'm happy to report, delicious, with the custard sharp and tangy, the pastry sticky and the whole thing being a very nice end to my meal.
Pomegranate is a place joining the battle for breakfast time recognition, but is one that has found its place as a warm, welcoming venue full of flavour and smiles, as well as helping some of the most vulnerable people in Wolverhampton.
I enjoyed it and will happily go back again, particularly for the wrap, full of well cooked and crisp bacon, tasty sausage and eggs inside a crispy shell and all very reasonably priced as well.
Go there, enjoy a coffee and breakfast and thank me later. 9/10.
Pomegranate Cafe, Queen's Building, Victoria Sq, Wolverhampton WV1 1LD
Open Tuesday to Thursday 8am to 2pm and Friday 9am to 2.30pm.
Menu
Granola pot - £2.50
Fruit pot - £2
Porridge pot - £2
Egg, sausage and bacon omelette in a wrap - £4
Egg, spinach and cheese omelette in a wrap - £3.50
Bacon sandwich/roll - £3.50
Sausage sandwich/roll - £4
Croissant - £1
Pastel de Nata - £1
Pomegranate breakfast deal - wrap and coffee - £5.50
Coffee and croissant/Pastel de Nata - £4
Early Bird deal - 50 per cent off between 8am and 9am