Norwich, UK
During March this past year the stars aligned for my business partner Frances and I to finally start the process of opening Birchley’s Loose Leaf Tea stall in the local Norwich Market.
Although our opening is pretty recent, the idea behind the stall has been looming for years in Frances’ mind while she worked in another stall on the Market.
For ten years Frances Smalley was employed by the herb and spices stall on the Market. While working there she was asked constantly if there was a tea stall… Having to say no all the time she soon felt that starting one herself would be a great idea. And I agreed!
My personal love for tea started years ago when I was young, drinking tea after tea round my nan’s and at home. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered just how low quality the tea in tea bags were!
I tried loose leaf just as we were setting up the business and instantly fell in love. The quality of the leaf only enhances the flavour of the great taste of tea!
Birchley’s Loose Leaf Tea
The tea Birchley’s Loose Leaf Tea stall sells comes from various companies that collect tea from all around the world. Me and Frances have personally tasted and tested from each of these companies and are confident that the teas we ended up picking are the most delicious!
Getting the stall open was so far the biggest success. The stall itself was built by myself and Frances; we worked hard to get everything put up and ready in time for a successful opening day!
However, since being opened an issue that we are currently trying to overcome is the intense summer weather. With high temperatures reaching over 30 degrees Celsius hot tea does not necessarily appeal to customers.
To rectify this we have been pushing the idea that our fruit teas are just as tasty as a cold brew and emphasize that it’s always a good time for a cup of tea, especially a fruity one!
A lot of passion went into the three fruit teas we mixed ourselves (Apple and Cinnamon, Sour Berries, Tropical Rooibos). A lot of tasting and experimenting was required to get them right without the need for added flavorings. We feel that as a result we developed some truly unique tasting fruit teas for our customers to all try and love.
Talking about the future
Frances and I have high ambitions for the future of Birchley’s Loose Leaf Tea. Right now we are looking into selling a selection of teas online via Etsy starting within the UK and then eventually branching out worldwide.
We also plan (if things go well) to expand the stall into a dual unit; thus giving us more space to sell vast amounts of teas, accessories, and even serving tea with a seating area!
To support us and to find out about all of our delicious teas come visit us on the Norwich Market or like and follow us here on our facebook page, Birchleys.
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