Yesterday evening, I ran a tea class for six 8 year olds who make up the Cookery Club at a local school and towards the end of the hour we spent together, one of the boys looked up at me over his beaker of Assam tea and said, “I’ll remember this moment!”. Such a grown-up thing to say and so absolutely what tea is all about. Every single one of us has tea moments that we will always remember and it’s even more important today, with so much gloomy news around, to make sure we continue to create and enjoy such memorable occasions, no matter how short. They are what keep us focused on the gentler side of life, they slow the pace and lift the spirits, and remind us of true friendship and communication.

Favourite tearooms obviously play their very important part as the setting for joyful tea memories and it’s heartening that here in the UK, and I’m sure elsewhere around the world, established tea rooms are doing well and new teashops are opening despite the bad financial news. It is so crucial at times like this to remember the importance of very simple pleasures and to treat ourselves to comforting cups of tea. So I want to share with you all news of thriving favourite and recently-opened tea rooms where the determination, commitment and energy of creative entrepreneurs magic a truly positive ambience and bring so much pleasure to customers - you can almost hear customers murmuring to themselves as they settle into their seats, “I’m so glad I know about this lovely shop!”

Right in the heart of London’s Soho, Berwick Street bustles with shoppers buying fresh fruit and vegetables from market stalls and buzzes with the everyday business of the long-established traders who sell wholesale jewellery, fabrics and all the lace, sequin and feather trimmings required by the rag trade. It’s an exciting backdrop for Yumchaa’s second shop. The new shop captures the spirit of the area - with its pleasing mix of simple, stripped furniture, it sections of bare brick walls, open fire place, subtle touches of fabric-printed wallpapers and its floor to ceiling picture windows (satisfied customers above!). When it opened this week, it immediately attracted a complete cross section of locals - men in business suits, couples out shopping, students, passers-by - and they all looked totally at home in this light, friendly, easy space that allows comfort inside and a stimulating view of the busy street world outside (see here to the right).

Owner Trinh Huang (pictured above with Sean, her partner), a friend of mine from my St James’s Teas days when we supplied some of her first teas, has a flair for striking exactly the right note in terms of decor, layout and atmosphere. With her partner Sean, she has put together a menu of favourite cakes and scones, delicious soups and urban picnic selections from a company called Upbox whose lunch-in-a-box choices offer takeaway gourmet meals in French, Turkish, Moroccan, Italian, Spanish, Thai, British, American, Greek, Indian, or Lebanese style. There’s something for everyone at any time of the day.

When I called in to see the new shop, Trinh, Sean and a bunch of friends and staff were just heading off in the rain to walk the streets of Soho in a tongue-in-cheek protest against the widespread use of teabags here in the UK! Their banners demanded “Free Your Tea!” “Drink Loose Tea!” and “Liberate Your Leaves!” and their chants, in true demonstration style, told Londoners, “What do we want? Loose Tea! When do we want it? NOW!” Such fun, and maybe their jaunty parade made people really stop and think about the way they brew and drink their tea! I shall certainly be regularly arranging to meet friends at Soho Yumchaa. Trinh is Vietnamese and the shop’s Chinese name means ‘to have or to make tea’. Her core desire at Yumchaa is to serve tea (chaa) that tastes absolutely ‘yum!’

The company’s first shop in North London’s Camden Lock market is also doing really well and they have boosted interest and given a funky, young feel to the place by hosting live music events (with music of all types) and open mic evenings. In Soho, they plan art exhibitions and more music and they have already made table space available to people who offer consultancy on such topics as health, healing, business, etc. This could become a vibrant centre of energy and activity, and adds to Soho’s growing reputation as the tea village of London - not far away is the Tea Room at Liberty’s, Yauatcha just down the road on the corner of Berwick Street and Broadwick Street, Old Compton Street with its Algerian Tea and Coffee Store, Moroccan style Mo in Heddon Street, and Postcard Teas a little further west in Dering Street.

At Victoria, further south towards the river, a new contemporary-style tearoom called Chamama has opened (photo left). With its 1950s colour scheme of brown and cream, cosy booths in which to relax, beautiful displays of retail tea wares, and a very extensive choice of teas, it sets a very modern feel by combining the light, clean, sleek lines of a Japanese tea room or sushi bar with the young, appealing, slightly arty 1950s coffee bar style. Its location in Wilton Street, just a few minutes walk down the road from Victoria’s busy train, tube and bus station, makes it very central and it’s a little haven and a gift for anyone living or shopping in the area. It was planned as the first of a chain so I’ll be looking out for more Chamamas to come and will blog them when up and running. The next blog will bring you the latest about other new and successful tea rooms in other parts of Britain - in Glasgow, Liverpool, Cardiff and Lincolnshire.

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