Luxury tea — is it for me?

On Thursday, 20 November, I attended my first event for Tea & Coffee Trade Journal — the grand opening of TWG Tea’s new 1,400-sq ft boutique and takeaway tea concept on Oxford Street in London. I am a newbie to tea, having only really developed a semblance of a taste for it earlier this year, so I wondered if I would like ‘luxury’ or ‘high end’ tea, but I was optimistic nevertheless and arrived on the day with high expectations.

That being said, I still was not quite prepared for the jump from ‘whatever Dad buys and a bit of milk’ to ‘tea-infused prosecco’! Though I doubt it is a regular fixture on their shelves (I am happy to be proven wrong here), this surprising offering was handed to guests as we walked in the door and set the tone for the event quite well.

The venue, nearby Selfridges and Bond Street, struck me as both cosy and professional at the same time, with a band composed largely of violinists playing a combination of pop songs remixed with string instruments. Recognisable tunes like the tavern theme from Star Wars (you know the one) or “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi were played with such finesse that if I did not recognise them, I would probably have assumed they were classical tracks!

For me, other than the band of course, highlights of the event were the gorgeous décor of the venue, which was appropriately very festive, and the many different creative tea products scattered all around. I was particularly impressed by tea bags shaped as teddy bears, which also function as sweets if you wanted to eat them separately. I never expected tea products to be so diverse.

Speaking to attendees, the COO of TWG Tea, Paul Dunham, asserted that “this is an iconic location that brings together heritage, culture and moments of discovery” and that “opening this store marks a huge milestone for us in the UK.” (TWG Tea first entered the UK market in 2018 with a store in London’s Leicester Square.) Though I did not get to speak to him personally, I could tell that he was very passionate about the work being done in the shop. Once again, it really fit the relaxed, yet luxurious vibe.

Our host at the event was thorough at making sure we could see and understand each of the products on offer during our time at the shop. As our time there came to a close, we received goody bags including one of our own choices of tea products on our way out. I always love a goody bag, and so did my colleagues when I brought it in to share this week!

• Matthew Camp, Editorial Assistant – [email protected]