It’s full steam ahead for Birmingham’s incredible transformation into a major food and drink destination station.

The city centre’s newest pub on Temple Street has giant cogs on the ceiling, railway sleeper-style wood panels on the walls and a giant railway mural next to the entrance.

As soon as you step over the threshold you will discover what the Head of Steam is all really about – it’s bright and airy but full-strength industrial, too.

The light-and-heavy combination is intoxicating, as if this is a pub paying homage to the James Watt-inspired ground floor area of Birmingham's giant Thinktank science musuem.

And that’s before you’ve had a look at the menu which ranges from sauteed mussels (£9.95) to Korean-inspired squid (£5.95) with a lime and kimchi dipping sauce.

Never mind the dazzling line up of drinks.

Inside the entrance to Head of Steam
Inside the entrance to Head of Steam

Sourced from Britain, Europe, the US and Asia, there are 100 ‘packaged’ cans and bottles of beers to choose from as well as 44 keg and cask lines.

Throw in spirits, wines and cocktails galore and the Head of Steam plans to offer an ever-changing veritable feast of flavours that you will never get to the bottom of.

So it's just as well the menu offers paired-drink recommendations – that’ll be a Belgian blonde for the mussels, for example, or an India Pale Ale for the Korean-style squid.

Head of Steam on Temple Street
Head of Steam on Temple Street

A Czech pilsner is the tip to go with fish and chips (£10.95), served with Brooklyn beer-battered, sustainable cod with fries and wasabi pea puree.

The pub has been created by Hartlepool-based Camerons.

As well as selling its own beers, there will be locally-produced ones, too, from companies including Dig Brew Co and the Birmingham Brewing Co, whose range includes a citrus ale called Pale Brummie (4%).

The Head of Steam is flooded with light thanks to its orangery style windows
The Head of Steam is flooded with natural light thanks to its orangery style windows

Openings manager Mark Connor promised the pub will concentrate just as much on its food as it will on its alcoholic drinks and coffees.

“There’s not a passive part of our business,” he says.

“It doesn’t matter if you want to come in for a taste of beer, a three-course dinner or cocktails.

Engineer's dream - decor inside the Head of Steam
Engineer's dream - decor inside the Head of Steam

“Everything we sell will be an evolution as we learn what our customers want.

“There will be nothing that becomes an ornament here.”

Head of Steam will open to the public from 5pm on Thursday, June 7.

Pale Brummie - a citrus ale from the Birmingham Brewing Co
Pale Brummie - a citrus ale from the Birmingham Brewing Co

First impressions

The pub doesn’t need a beer garden because the front area with tables and chairs feels like an outdoor urban patio – even though it’s indoors.

The floor here has been surfaced by craftsmen using individual, brick-style tiles.

Once you go up a flight of stairs (or there's a special lift for wheelchairs) you will see the central main floor surrounded by the company’s bespoke black and white chequerboard floor tiling.

The ground floor windows at Head of Steam
The ground floor windows at Head of Steam

To your right is an area that will be used up to three times a week for live music.

Don’t expect to see the next Ozzy Osbourne.

But there will be everything from acoustic sessions to brass ensembles.

How natural lights floods into the Head of Steam
How natural lights floods into the Head of Steam

Up some more stairs towards the front windows, there is a large table that will be used to host tasting sessions hosted by the pub’s specially-trained beer sommeliers.

This area can also be used for private meetings.

To the left of the bar as you enter are dining booths, with stools to the right around the other side.

View across the bar pumps
View across the bar pumps

As the back there are tables and chairs for dining, with more booths along the rear wall.

Giving the whole place a real lift are the retained roof windows.

They literally rise up from the ceilings to give the bar the feel of an orangery on a grand scale.

There are two slot machines for over 18s at the back.

Food menu
Food menu

The menu

Here’s a quick guide to the sections and two choices within each one.

Light bites – Persian pressed chicken with ciabatta and chutney (£5.35) or Yuzum, ginger and shiso smoked salmon (£5.95).

Stone baked artisan pizzas – BBQ pulled purk with herb oil or Indian spiced chicken tikka (£9 each).

View across the bar pumps
View across the bar pumps

World flavours – Moroccan harissa marinated salmon (£12.95) to 21-day aged Yorkshire sirloin steak (£16.95).

Handmade pie and mash – pulled chicken, ham hock and sauteed leek pie or spiced cauliflower, lentil and spinach pie (£9.95 each).

Own recipe burgers – full Head of Steam Burger for £12.95 (two 4oz Road Crew beef and chilli burgers loaded with onion rings, smoked bacon, Monterey Jack and chilli jam or there’s Lamb Kofta Burger – a 6oz lamb patty with cucumber raita (£10.50).

The front reception area of the Head of Steam
The front reception area of the Head of Steam

Own recipe dogs – chilli dog or bbq dog, they’re £9.95 each.

Sides – they are £3 each and include skin on fries, sweet potato fries, sauteed new potatoes, garlic ciabatta, battered onion rings, house salad and mac ‘n’ cheese bites. Toasted ciabatta is £1 per portion.

For £14.95, you can try The Besler Light Bites and Beer Flight Taster – any three light bites with their recommended beer pairing.

Caged beers
Caged beers

Breakfast and brunch is served until 3pm and includes a breakfast ciabatta bap (£3.95) or the Full Steam Ahead cooked breakfast for £7.25.

Sandwiches and wraps are served until 5pm and cost £6.95 each including fish finger and tartare sauce as well as 4oz sirlion steak with wasabi mayo (£1 extra).

A lunchtime offer (til 5pm) of sandwich or wrap with fries and a drink is £8.95 and includes a pint of Camerons cask, San Miguel, Steamer Smooth, Symonds Cider, 125ml house win or other hot or cold drink.

Downstairs tables next to a giant mural
Downstairs tables next to a giant mural

Desserts are £4.25 each and include salted caramel and chocolate torte or Head of Steam knickerbocker glory. A trio sharing board is £9.95.

Lattes and cappuccions are £2.40 / £2.80 or it’s £2.50 for a pot of tea and £2 for flavoured tea.

HoS Birmingham
HoS Birmingham logo

What do they say?

Sheffield-based Mark is a dog lover himself and he says part of the attraction of Head of Steam is that people can take their pooches along.

A nine-gallon cask is currently brewing their nectar in the cellar.

“If people put their coats down, a dog can sit on the furniture and we have our own specially-brewed, non-alcoholic dog beer and dog treats, too” says Mark.

Dogs welcome: Mark Connor, openings manager and Neil O'Connell, general manager with their dogs Obi and
Dogs welcome: Mark Connor, openings manager and Neil O'Connell, general manager with their dogs Obi and Willow

“We don’t have hard and fast rules, but dogs are generally welcome at quieter times.

“People can either take their own photos of their dogs and post pictures using the hashtag #DogsofHOS or we can do it for them.

“Every Head of Steam we have has its own style, but Huddersfield and Sheffield both make great use of listed buildings while the one we have in Hull is smaller and very quirky.

Bottled beer display
Bottled beer display

“We think Birmingham will be busiest from 4pm til 8pm, especially on Thursday on Friday evenings – who wants to catch a packed train to feel like a sardine any more?

“And we are always very busy at weekends.

“We find that when people have a reason to stay (in town) they stay.

What was the site before?

The site used to be a Serenity beauty clinic for men and women, next door to the former Temple Street Social which recently became Las Iguanas .

Just up the road opposite Birmingham Cathedral is another of the city’s brand new restaurants, The Ivy .

And over on Temple Row West is home to The Old Joint Stock and Damascena coffee shop.

Dining tables
Dining tables

Food and drink destinations on the other side of the street to the new Head of Steam site include Revolucion de Cuba which opened on March 23, 2018.

There's also the original San Carlo restaurant in the Italian group and The Botanist .

Another interesting venue is Trocadero .

This pub has a listed front and ghost stories, too.

Oh, and it was also once a fire station - the former hole in the ceiling for the firemen's pole has been turned into a lighting feature above the main bar.

Birmingham timetable
Birmingham timetable

Right opposite the Head of Steam is the recently closed Maplin electronics store.

What's the betting that this will soon become yet another bar or restaurant?

The history of Camerons Brewery

The brewery itself was established in 1865 by John William Cameron.

Today it is one of the largest private breweries in the UK, with the capacity to produce more than 175 million pints of beer annually.

Formed in 2002, following its purchase by businessman David Soley, Camerons is headquartered in Hartlepool at the historic 1892 Lion Brewery site.

Dining area at the rear
Dining area at the rear

It has a Visitor Centre on the nearby site of the former Stranton pub, one of the town’s oldest.

Camerons is a major contract brewer for the likes of Heineken and Carlsberg, as well as other major multinational companies.

Its own quality beers and lagers include the flagship Strongarm, a well-rounded 4.0% ABV ruby red ale.

It is also making a new Motörhead collaboration brew called Röad Crew APA,

Camerons also has a growing retail pub estate of more than 70 venues.

They range from community pubs and city centre venues, to restaurant and accommodation-based outlets.

A coffee
A coffee

Camerons acquired the (1995) Head of Steam brand in 2014 and seven new venues were purchased from Leeds Brewery in July, 2016.

There are established Head of Steam pubs in Huddersfield, Leeds, Durham, Newcastle, Tynemouth, Headingley, Sheffield, Hull, Liverpool and Norton.

Three more new sites have just opened this year – in Didsbury, Nottingham and Leicester.

Staff training
Staff training

Where is Head of Steam?

It's at Somerset House, 36 Temple St, Birmingham B2 5DP.

That means it's just five minutes' walk from Grand Central and New Street Railway Station on the other side of New Street.

For more information visit the website here or follow on Twitter here