Lattes and salads now on menu at greasy spoons

Lattes for lorry drivers? Brown bread for builders? The greasy spoons of the Black Country are changing.

But rest assured, they are still the place to go when you want to settle down with a mouthwatering fry-up, steaming cup of tea and copy of the paper.

And while the menus may be evolving, most cafes remain the same, sticking to the winning formula of a friendly face behind the counter, plastic tablecloths and tomato-shaped bottles of ketchup.

Keith Mills has an empire of cafes across the Black Country and started in the business when he was just 14 years old, washing dishes at his late uncle's Corner Cafe in Caldmore, Walsall.

"If you had told me 20 years ago I'd be serving lattes, cappuccinos and salads, I never would have believed you," the 42-year-old said.

"Back then, the workmen would come in for a full English for their breakfast and then come back for another one at lunch — but with added chips.

"These days people are more aware of their health and are taking better care of themselves. The lads will still have a fry-up for their breakfast but then a salad or a sandwich for their lunch.

"I decided to go a bit more upmarket with my new cafe so we serve fancy coffees, salads and I bring in goose and duck eggs and home-cured bacon. As strange as it sounds, brown bread is a relatively new thing for us, too, gone are the days when it's always a massive slab of white.

"The new cafe is also more modern- looking than the others I've got."

The Bentley father-of-two, whose wife and children are all vegetarians, eventually took over his uncle's cafe in West Bromwich Street, Walsall, and renamed it the Greedy Pig. He now has branches in Wednesbury, Wolverhampton and Willenhall.

Mr Mills, whose business partner is his sister Roz Dudley, said greasy spoons had weathered the recession better than most as people were going back to basics and turning to pick-me-ups like bacon baps and sausage sarnies.

However, he said they had still felt the affects of the credit crunch.

"We have managed to keep our heads above water during the recession and I even managed to open the new branch in Willenhall but there is a difference," he said.

"Lots of companies are only working three-day weeks now so there are no staff around Mondays or Fridays. We've seen the affects, our sandwich orders are down.

"Chain pubs have also played their part in things slowing down from 10 years ago as people can go and get cheap food but a pint as well."

But the tills are still ringing in the traditional greasy spoons.

"We're busy," said Mr Mills. "You get all the usuals in that people expect like lorry drivers, builders and road workers but there is always a mix. At my Wolverhampton cafe in Horseley Fields we get lots of lawyers and solicitors in suits as the crown court is just around the corner. In the Caldmore cafe, we get students because the University of Wolverhampton's Walsall campus is nearby.

"In my opinion, greasy spoons are like pubs, they have a special place in the community and there is a familiar atmosphere that everyone can relate to. Whether people are getting together before work or a football match, there is a camaraderie."

Ian Alici took over Jean's Cafe in Bilston Road, Wolverhampton, in November, 2007. A cafe has been running in the building for around 65 years.

The 31-year-old was going to buy a different cafe in Northampton but changed his mind instantly when he saw the hustle and bustle of the Black Country cafe.

"It was just really traditional and there was a nostalgia to the place," said the father-of-one. "The food was cooked fresh, coming out really quick and there was loyal customer base.

"I'd been running a grill restaurant in Kings Cross in London but was after a completely different way of life. It was a gamble, but I knew Jean's was the place for me."

Mr Alici, who was born and raised in north London but now lives above his cafe, said he had hardly made any changes to the menu or decor.