Board game and cereal cafe

LIFE

MNL MNL Cereal thriller: getting on board with unique cafe

Smithdown Road’s ‘Tiny Ricks Café’ describes itself as the UK’s only Cereal & board game café. With a multitude of cereals and board games to choose from, it’s a unique experience for all ages to enjoy. By LOUISE LEMOINE

A glimpse at the board game selection at Tiny Ricks Cafe.

Cereals at Tiny Ricks Cafe.

Tiny Ricks Café boasts an eye-catching worldwide selection of cereals and board games which the owners, Poppy Pembleton and Cliff Jenkinson, claim to have tried and tested out personally.

Novel cafes in the city such as the Cat Café on Bold Street have proven to be a hit with customers and Tiny Ricks is no exception!

Originally situated in the basement of Grand Central Hall on Renshaw Street, the café relocated to Smithdown Road in 2018. The area is well-known for its independent businesses, with records claiming that between 1905 and 1910 there were over 50 diverse types of businesses and small industries on the road alone.

Although there is a niche market for board games and cereal enthusiasts alike, the nostalgia and joy of playing board games with family and friends has benefitted the independent business. Customers can play any of the hundreds of games out on the shelves with a charge of £2 an hour per player with a spend cap of £5.

Poppy and Cliff, who are passionate about all the board games they have in their café, are also on hand to give advice on which games are good for groups or families and to settle any Monopoly disputes. Pre-pandemic, there was also the option to rent board games from the café and take them home with you.

National and local lockdowns brought their own challenges for a business thriving off interaction. They documented on their social media platforms how disappointed they were to have to close for a lengthy period and how they had to turn to takeaway only confectionaries.

They also explained how when re-opening, board games that were played would then be quarantined for three days to try to minimize the spread of viruses, but this also meant fewer games on the shelves for customers.

If customers are feeling brave, they can try to take on the cafes Cereal Challenge which has its own leaderboard. Competitors take on twelve cereal bowls which are chosen by Poppy and Cliff, if all bowls are completed within an hour, they make it onto the champions leader board and there is no charge for taking on the challenge if you succeed. The challenge has some attention on social media and on YouTube by “competitive eaters” who are always looking for new foodie challenges to take on.

The menu focuses on the massive selection of international cereals, there are pre-selected combinations to choose from or there is the option to create a selection of cereals completely unique to your choices. There are other options for non-cereal lovers ranging from toasties to noodles to lattes.

Open four days a week, the venue also allows for group bookings for parties and clubs to book in, all enquiries can be made through Tiny Rick’s social media accounts. Customers can also book through Tiny Rick’s social media accounts, a deposit is taken but is deducted from the final fee, walk-in customers are welcomed but it is best to book to avoid disappointment!